The Miracle of Vegetarianism: Nourishing Your Body and the Earth

I don't think the word 'vegan' is that unfamiliar anymore. We see more and more people embracing vegetarianism for various reasons around us, and even on TV, people are openly identifying as vegans.

In the past, only those who didn't eat meat were called vegetarians, but now it's widely known that there are various types of vegetarians. Pesco-vegetarians who only avoid meat, ovo-vegetarians who avoid fish and dairy products, etc., all fall under the category of vegetarianism. The vegan we commonly refer to is someone who avoids eating meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

Everyone knows that vegetarianism is good for your health, right? Vegetarianism has the effect of preventing various adult diseases that are more likely to develop when you consume meat frequently, and it also helps increase good cholesterol levels in your body. In addition, it improves blood circulation, protecting your body from fatal diseases like high blood pressure and stroke.

Humanity is consuming more and more meat. Global meat consumption, which was 71 million tons in the 1960s, increased to 364 million tons in 2023. While the increase in population is certainly one of the reasons for the increase in meat consumption, the global spread of Westernized diets centered around meat is also a major factor behind the surge in global meat consumption. The problem is that consuming meat doesn't just negatively impact human health.

It's surprising to learn that a third of greenhouse gas emissions, the main culprit of global warming, are caused by food production. It's also astonishing that beef and lamb account for half of the gas emissions from livestock farms. Compared to vegetarianism, which involves consuming nature as it is, meat consumption involves processing, resulting in a large amount of carbon emissions.

In this trend, vegetarianism is becoming increasingly necessary. According to a study by Oxford University, adopting a vegetarian diet can reduce the negative environmental impacts of meat-based diets, such as carbon emissions and water pollution, by as much as 75%. Additionally, it can reduce water usage by half and even prevent biodiversity loss. Vegetarianism not only reduces carbon emissions but also has various positive effects on the global environment.

Now that the climate crisis has become a global issue, the number of people taking action to address it has also increased. Some people avoid using plastic to minimize their impact on the planet. We often associate eco-friendly actions with a degree of inconvenience, but vegetarianism, instead of being inconvenient, is actually beneficial to our health. One obstacle might be the common misconception that vegetarian food is bland. However, with the growing number of vegans and advancements in technology, there are now many plant-based foods that can successfully replicate the taste of meat.

Of course, not everyone can manage a completely plant-based diet for every meal. Meat also contains essential nutrients for humans, so we can't completely eliminate it from our diets. Moreover, it's nearly impossible for someone who enjoys meat to suddenly become a vegan overnight. However, if we incorporate even one vegetarian meal a week, it will undoubtedly make a meaningful difference for the planet. Vegetarianism isn't a monumental task; it's a simple yet effective way to protect the Earth.