Let's be clear - I didn't become vegan for health reasons. It was purely ethical. I loved meat and would still be eating it if I hadn't seen behind the curtain of how it gets to our plates.
But something interesting happened after switching. Years of minor health niggles just... disappeared.
The indigestion I'd dealt with for years? Gone. That constant feeling of being slightly too full after meals? Gone. Even my energy levels seemed to level out - no more post-lunch crashes.
I'm not saying veganism is some miracle cure. Plenty of vegans eat terribly (Oreos are vegan, after all). And plenty of meat eaters are incredibly healthy.
But for me, the switch brought unexpected benefits. The sort that you don't notice until they're gone, then wonder how you lived with them for so long.
This makes the future of cultivated meat particularly interesting. Will it carry the same health implications as traditional meat? Will it be engineered to be healthier? Could it offer the best of both worlds - the taste of meat without the downsides?
These are questions we'll get answers to soon enough. For now, I'm happy knowing my ethical choice came with some unexpected bonuses.
Even if I did make the switch for completely different reasons.
