The definition of veganism is whereby an individual tries to avoid any form of exploitation or cruelty towards animals in terms of food, clothing or any other form. They eat a plant-based diet as they don't eat any animal foods such as meat (as well as fish, shellfish and insects), dairy (ie milk, cheese and chocolate), eggs and honey. They don't use products such as leather, nor any which are tested on animals - these tend to be beauty products. According to the Vegan Society, as of May 2016, there were at least 542,000 people in the UK living a vegan lifestyle - a figure which has increased three and a half times since 2006.The vegan lifestyle is becoming rather popular in modern day society, but is it something we should try incorporate ourselves into our lives; whether it's a health switch or a lifestyle choice?

Walk down the busy, main streets of any city or populated town and chances are, you will walk past a campaign of some sort regarding veganism, and the campaigners are trying to grasp your attention in the hope they can persuade you to become vegan, or even at least, try out the lifestyle. There are numerous pros and cons to the decision.

Vegan diets are by far one of the healthiest options available. A plant-based diet includes foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, all of which are often higher in vitamins, minerals and fibres. Due to high intakes in these foods, they provide the body with high levels of vitamins B1 (found in foods such as nuts, oats, oranges and seeds), C (blackcurrant, red peppers, green peppers, kiwis and strawberries) and E (almonds, sweet potato, avocado, butternut squash and sunflower seeds), as well as iron, but they also have low levels of cholesterol and saturated fats. As you can see, the foods they have provide the required nutrition for your body, and as a result, have less of a chance facing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, strokes, specific cancers and cardiovascular disease. When written out, it all seems so beneficial and seems like an ideal lifestyle choice.

However, the counteracting problem here is the lack of protein. Foods which are rich in protein include meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, all of which are items that vegans don't eat. The average woman over the age of 19 requires 46 grams of protein on a daily basis, with men requiring 56 grams. But, for vegans, the only source of protein they receive are from beans and nuts, which means they need to eat more to achieve the recommended values because they don't have the vast selection of food. Further upon this problem is the possibility of iron deficiency, because meat (especially beef) and shellfish have high levels of iron in them, and vegans don't eat meat. Meat is one of the main sources and for vegans only to eat spinach, white beans and soybeans won't provide quite the same level of iron, which in turn, affects their health; iron deficiency is the cause of fatigue and can lead to brain function. Again, the recommended intake for women is 18 milligrams, increased to 27 milligrams whilst pregnant, and for men, they only need 8 milligrams a day. So, is a plant-based diet really beneficial for your health?

Each year, vegans save 198 animals, as stated by PETA. They also reported that the average person eats around 130 shellfish, 40 fish, 26 chickens, 1 turkey, 1/2 a pig and 1/10 of a cow on a yearly basis. For myself, who isn't a vegan, these statistics even shock me; they're incredibly high. Vegans are against breeding domesticated animals (these are animals which are kept by humans as a work animal, food source or pet), which includes horses, dogs, cats and more. Their views are that although we may love our pets who bring us joy and happiness, they belong in their own environment, ie their natural habitats. As vegans love and care for animals so much, they do not want to consume them, buy any products whereby they are made from their skin, or promote animal testing at all. They opt for cruelty-free and vegan products. This is extremely beneficial because it's saving the innocent animals from being kept in crammed spaces to be bred, instead, they have more freedom and are living their best life. They also aren't being exposed to abuse and are exercising their rights (yes, animals have rights and if you didn't know, you can read more here)

With all that said, and although I can see the advantages to veganism, I don't believe we should force it upon those who aren't. As I say, it's each to their own. Forcing veganism upon those who aren't isn't going to a) give a good impression of the vegan community and b) hardly going to persuade them. I don't object to campaigns trying to promote it, but I do think we need to be respectful towards other people's lifestyles - if one wishes to be vegan, then great, and vice versa for those who wish not to be vegan.