While going vegan may not save the world on its own, making small tweaks to your diet can make a difference. A vegan lifestyle is defined as being free of animal byproducts. This can be intimidating to some, especially considering that the standard American diet recommends 4-6 servings of meat and dairy per day. With that, complete removal of these foods diet can cause social isolation and confusion because of the way these foods are culturally ingrained into our upbringings. It’s easier to eat a piece of steak at a restaurant than asking the manager where it came from.

But the standard American diet might not be the most sustainable, and people are recognizing that. There are also many other diets that promote a more sustainable diet like vegetarianism and the Mediterranean diet, but veganism is a rising diet that’s uprooted many diets.

People who identify as a vegan has stayed stagnant in recent years. In 2018, just 3 percent of Americans identified as vegan compared to 2 percent in 2012, according to RJ Reinhart. But what’s noteworthy is that plant-based product consumption is rising in America. According to Reinhart, plant-based product sales climbed 8.1 percent in 2017. But is switching to meat and dairy alternatives making a difference?

The main reasons why people are turning toward veganism typically fall under three subdivisions: cruelty, pollution and resource abuse as well as health implications.

When it comes to animal rights, there are loose regulations into how animals are treated in companies that sell meat and dairy products on the mass-production scale. Videos like this show what these conditions can be like. When animals are being slaughtered for their meat, it’s clear that there are ethical implications attached to the process. But it’s more difficult to understand how animals can be treated poorly in the dairy industry. Peta does a good job explaining the systematic cruelty that exists by exploring implications like cramped living conditions, artificial insemination, and starvation taking place in factories. To avoid buying products that may have harrowing conditions for their animals, check for transparent production process information on packaging.

If animal mistreatment isn’t enough for you to avoid animal products, then the environmental consequences of the meat and dairy industry might be. Ditching animal byproducts and eating plant-based can dramatically reduce a person’s carbon footprint. According to an article released by The Guardian last May, ditching meat is the best way to do this.

Pollution and resource depletion is also a concern within the meat and dairy industry. The Science journal released a 2018 report that highlighted how the current conditions of the meat and dairy industry are driving climate change as well as consuming global water resources on a grand scale. According to a UCLA article the meat industry releases as much carbon emissions as the transportation industry. By switching to plant-based meat alternatives, a single-person can save an abundance of water. In the UCLA article, water consumption of beef and tofu was compared. For one pound of beef, upwards of 2,000 pounds of water are used on average. For tofu, just under 200 pounds of water are consumed. With that, cutting meat and dairy out of our diets could exponentially conserve global water consumption. Greenhouse gas emissions from the meat industry are also extortionate. The beef industry is in the 90th percentile for emissions, where the soy industry is in the 10th.

Finally, veganism can promote a healthier diet. Studies have found meat as being potentially linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, and dairy is difficult to stomach for many. According to a Cornell study, about 15 percent of Americans are lactose intolerant. By removing meat and dairy from our diets, our health may be improved.

It’s important to be mindful of what we are putting into our bodies because it can promote a healthier lifestyle for our minds, planet and bodies. Veganism is a great alternative to meat and dairy, but it’s not the only way to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Diets, like vegetarianism, the Mediterranean diet, and the Paleo diet, also promote similar healthful philosophies. With vegan products being released constantly and new restaurants opening up, it’s never been easier to live a more plant-based lifestyle.