The word vegan carries so much stigma, for what reason though? Walk up to a dinner table full of people and utter the words "I'm vegan," and unless the company shares your beliefs, you will probably be greeted with skepticism and ignorance.

But why is this the case? Is it because vegans save animals by not supporting their death for our enjoyment? Could it be because the process of following a vegan diet has extreme environmental advantages since it requires less burning of fossil fuels, water, AND land to produce?

Maybe it's because following a vegan diet is known to improve digestion as meat takes 12-48 hours to pass through your intestines versus the 12 hours or less it takes plant based foods. Or could it be because vegans have other benefits like a naturally better smelling breath from not having meat remnants lingering in their stomach, or clearer skin due to fewer hormones in their diet.

Did this bad reputation come about because vegans have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and many cancers? Perhaps it's because vegans are scientifically proven to be mentally happier and have more energy as a healthy mind is linked to a healthy body.

Truthfully, I'm still wondering why vegans have such a bad rep? Chances are, non-vegans are just choosing not to educate themselves and therefore hate the fact that vegans are typically more knowledgeable in the nutritional values of their diet. They do say, "ignorance is bliss", but as Dr. Ann Wigmore famously said, "The food you eat can either be the safest most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."

If everybody who finds vegans to be obnoxious or weird actually took the time to educate themselves on the benefits of following this type of lifestyle, the stigma might fade. Fewer animals would die, people would be happier, and the overall health of the population would increase. Go ahead and ask a non-vegan why they don't like vegans, how much evidence would they actually have to back up their reasoning?