When many people hear someone announce “I’m a vegan,” they roll their eyes as a reflex in response to the latest dietary trend. Most assume that a person is vegan because they love animals too much to even consider harming a baby lamb. Little do they know, veganism comes with many more benefits than just preventing animal cruelty.

While I am not a vegan myself, learning about the depth and complexity to the philosophy reminds me to consider what I indulge on and how it affects my body, the environment and animals.

Going vegan comes with an array of benefits to one’s personal health. A standard vegan diet consists of a great amount of fruits and vegetables, and as the classic saying goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” which means vegans reap the benefits of fruit and vegetable intake to a much greater extent than the average human. Vegans also tend to be leaner, have lower BMIs and have a lower percentage of body fat.

On a personal note, senior Monica Lampaya, has recently gone vegan, having many reasons to drive her to make the commitment.

“My whole life I’ve struggled with weight issues, acne, not feeling good about myself and constantly being tired,” Lampaya said. “I was really sick of calorie restrictions and putting limitations on myself, which led to a cycle of going from starving myself to eventual binging. Once I looked further into veganism, I learned that there are no calorie restrictions when eating vegan, and meanwhile you can lose weight, cure acne and just generally feel great with an increase in energy.”

If you have any concern for the prosperity of our planet, veganism can also play a crucial role in preserving our resources. Veganism helps combat the excess of carbon emissions by lessening the amount of transportation involved in the meat distribution. In another example, the crops produced to feed the livestock could be going to other humans around the world who are struggling to survive from meal to meal. According to The Vegan Society, if the meat and dairy industry continues to grow at the same rapid pace, it will “contribute to global warming, widespread pollution, deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity and species extinction.”

For any animal lovers out there, being vegan is one of the number one ways to prevent animal cruelty. Many believe that these animals deserve the natural right to life and freedom and should not be obligated to be used as food. Animals are not just used for food but are also tested on for beauty products and new drug prototypes. According to PETA, “more than 100 million animals suffer and die in the U.S. every year in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests as well as in medical training exercises and curiosity-driven medical experiments at universities. Examples of animal tests include forcing mice and rats to inhale toxic fumes, force-feeding dogs pesticides, and dripping corrosive chemicals into rabbits’ sensitive eyes.” To help protect these creatures from this horrible treatment, vegans also purchase cruelty-free merchandise.

If you or someone you know may be interested in transitioning, take it slow and do not cut everything out of your diet immediately. As long as you ensure that you are getting all of the proper nutrients, your body should adjust with ease over time. After discovering the abundance of perks that come with veganism, I believe that it is enough to make anyone consider the lifestyle.