VEGAN

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Not so long ago, the word “vegan” used to arise images of anaemic-looking, sandal-wearing hippies. But today, thanks to the celebrity followers and super-bloggers, veganism has suddenly become very popular. Beyoncé and Jay Z are partners in a vegan food company founded by their personal trainer, while other famous names constantly give speeches about the benefits of their vegan diets including Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Gates. Even athletes Venus Williams and Mike Tyson have become vegans. And it’s not just a celebrity trend. According to The Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK has doubled in the last nine years from 150,000 to around 300,000. The market research company Mintel reports the non-dairy milk market leapt from 36 million litres in 2011 to 92 million in 2013, making it worth over £150 million.

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Veganism is the practice of minimizing harm to all animals, which requires avoiding animal products, such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, lanolin, wool, fur, silk, suede, and leather. Some call veganism a moral baseline for animal rights activists.

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Vegans eat plant-based foods, such as grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. While vegans have a wide variety of foods to choose from, the diet may seem very restrictive to those who are used to an omnivorous diet. “You just eat salad?” is a common comment from nonvegans, but a vegan diet can include a wide variety of Italian pasta, Indian curries, Chinese stir-fries, Tex-Mex burritos,and even “meat” loaf made from textured vegetable protein or beans. Many types of meat and dairy analogs are also now available, including sausages, burgers, hot dogs, “chicken” nuggets, milk, cheese and ice cream, all made without animal products. Vegan meals can also be rather simple and humble, such as a lentil soup or yes, even a big, raw vegetable salad.

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Veganism also affects clothing choices, and vegans will choose cotton or acrylic sweaters instead of wool sweaters; a cotton blouse instead of a silk blouse, and canvas or fake leather sneakers instead of real leather sneakers. Many clothing choices are available, and as more retailers and manufacturers are trying to appeal to vegans, they are making their vegan options known by advertising the products as “vegan.” Some stores even specialize in vegan footwear and other vegan products.

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A growing body of evidence suggests veganism could improve blood pressure and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, while a major study published in July in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reviewed 12 diet trials and found that people on a vegan diet lost the most weight. “Eating more plants and fibre and reducing our consumption of meat not only leads to weight loss but also to a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure and certain cancers, especially prostate, breast and bowel.”