I love meeting new people. Every person has a different story and you always seem to learn something new from each person you meet. This semester, as I’m based in New York City, I found myself with a new roommate. During the usual introductions and in getting to know each other better, she told me that she was a vegan. This was a pretty foreign term to me, as I had previously only known vegetarians. I double-checked the definition: Oxford Dictionaries defines a vegan as “a person who does not eat or use animal products.”   
 
“So, you don’t eat eggs or cheese? No steak?” I asked, my meat-loving mind finding that difficult to comprehend.
“Nope, not at all,” she replied. 
 
She told me she had dabbled in vegetarianism — still consuming animal byproducts — on-and-off for her whole life, and eventually decided to make the switch to a fully vegan lifestyle. The cause: she had watched videos on the meat, dairy and egg industry and the animal abuse was something that scarred her for good. 
 
Now, I really love my non-vegan lifestyle. I love my cheese and steak, and nothing’s better than scrambled eggs for breakfast. But out of curiosity, I asked her if she noticed any difference in her well-being. Besides the obvious fact that her conscience felt a whole lot better, she said that her mental health also saw a major improvement. At this point, we were pretty tight and I had to ask: “How has being vegan affected your sex life?”
 
Turns out living a vegan lifestyle can be significantly beneficial to your sex life. Here’s how: 
 
It increases your stamina 
Sex, as we all know, is an energy-consuming activity. According to WebMD, doing the deed burns five calories per minute — not a whole lot, but still more than just watching Netflix — unless you’re Netflix and chilling, of course. After “working out” in the bedroom, it’s normal to feel like you just ran a marathon. But being vegan has the potential to increase stamina when it comes to getting sexual, and science backs it up.
According to PETA, a vegan diet that’s high in all-natural sugars — the stuff you find in fruits like bananas — means you won’t have a huge sugar crash that you’d usually get from eating processed sugars. Nuts, which are also high in protein, are another vegan-approved snack that’s said to help with keeping energy levels — and men — up.  
 
It makes your parts smell better 
A 2006 study published in the Chem Senses journal found that out of 17 male participants who were put on a two-week “meat” and “non-meat” diet, those who did not consume meat had “significantly more attractive, more pleasant and less intense” body odor.  And of course, we all know the theory of what eating pineapple can do to your bodily fluids. The myth goes that consuming large amounts of the fruit results in a sweeter taste. While the scientific world still debates this, I think we can go with the “you are what you eat” motto on this one.   
 
It really boosts your self-esteem 
Research done in 2012 showed that those who avoided meat, fish and poultry demonstrated an overall, happier outlook on life. The study stated, “vegetarian diets are typically rich in antioxidants, which potentially conveys mood protection.” While of course there’s a significant difference between a vegetarian and a vegan diet, the key takeaway here is that you end up feeling better about your self and your body and nothing’s sexier in the bedroom than self-confidence.
 
While my roommate definitely stands by the fact that being vegan helps you feel, smell and perform better in the bedroom, others, like a reporter for The Telegraph UK who tried being vegan for 60 days, warn that making a huge lifestyle change can be a little tough on your body. The health benefits can be seen for sure, but keep an eye out for any nutritional deficiencies. 
 
Ultimately, the choice is yours. I can’t say whether I’ll ever make the switch for good — I really do love bacon — but clearly being vegan doesn’t mean I’d have to give up on all “meat.” Go forth and be fruitful, my friends.

Lydia Chan is a senior magazine major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. You can reach her at lychan@syr.edu.