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From the growing number of vegans in the US and around the world to the percentage reduction in health risks, environmental impact and animals consumed, plant-based living is inundated with positive facts and figures.
It can all be a bit overwhelming, so I’ve collected together a few of the key stats, with a little bit of help (and a very handy infographic) from HealthCareers.
HEALTH
Compassion — the choice to end harm to agricultural animals — has been the predominant factor in the move towards veganism for many years, but personal health is fast becoming a key focus.
Ironically, when veganism was ‘invented’ by Donald Watson in 1944, it was purely for health reasons [1].
40% of British dairy cattle were found to carry tuberculosis, then rife across the UK, and Watson coined the term ‘vegan’ as a contraction of ‘vegetarian’ to avoid the potentially contaminated meat and milk.
THE STATS:
- 35% — The amount vegan diets potentially reduce the risk of prostate cancer
- 9–18% — The decrease in the risk of colorectal cancer on a vegan diet
- 32% — The reduction in fatal heart disease on a plant-based diet
