Nowadays, vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming more common for both ethical and health reasons. A study conducted by Homi Homini shows that 1.6 per cent of people are vegan. This means that they limit their diet exclusively to plant-based products. The most vegan country in the world is currently Israel, where vegans make up 5% of the population.
The vegan diet - what does it consist of?
Plant-based diets is based on a well-informed exclusion of meat, fish and seafood from the daily diet and only allows the consumption of plant-based foods
Followers of these diets do not eat animals, fish and seafood, or zoonotic products, in the form of cochineal or lard. Veganism, however, is more restrictive and excludes all animal products, namely milk, cheese and all dairy products, as well as eggs and honey. In their place, it proposes fruit and vegetables, and replaces animal protein with plant protein. An important role in vegan cuisine is also played by:
- legumes,
- mushrooms,
- oilseeds, linseed, sesame, seeds and marine algae
- plant milk.
Veganism is not only a diet and cuisine, but also a philosophy and a lifestyle that eliminates the exploitation and persecution of our smaller brothers and sisters. When deciding to buy food, clothing or cosmetics, vegans must be sure that no animal has suffered in their production. Therefore, they do not wear fur, clothes made of wool or silk, and they do not use cosmetics or medicines tested on animals. Vegans also avoid and condemn all forms of entertainment that contribute to harming animals, i.e. circuses or zoos They also actively combat hunting and fishing.
How did the vegan diet come about?
As it turns out, Pythagoras in the fifth century BC was already promoting a meat-free lifestyle. However, the very concept of veganism created Bruno Wolff - lecturer at the German Vegetarian Association.
The Vegan Society emerged in 1944. It was founded by Donald Watson, who proposed the 'principle of avoiding the use of animals by humans' as a key lifestyle. He used the fact that in 1943, around 40 per cent of cows in Britain were infected with tuberculosis to promote it, so giving up zoonotic products provided protection against such dangers.
Benefits of a vegan diet
Research done at Oxford University shows that by giving up zoonotic products, we reduce our carbon footprint by 73 per cent. Indeed, meat and dairy production is responsible for 60 per cent of the greenhouse gases produced by agriculture. In addition, by eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, we provide ourselves with plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre. This makes vegans statistically slimmer than meat eaters. They also have a lower incidence of various cardiovascular diseases, as well as type 2 diabetes and prostate and colon cancer.
Vegan diet and health
Many people wonder whether a vegan diet is healthy. Well, as it turns out, choosing this habitual diet often involves a lifestyle change: avoiding stimulants and increasing physical activity.
A balanced vegan diet makes it possible to maintain health and well-being and even live 10 years longer, as well as providing the body with more energy and lowering body weight and blood cholesterol levels. In addition, seeds, nuts and the oils made from them provide the human body with many polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are valuable for, among other things, the nervous system and the immune system.
In general, a vegan diet reduces the risk of occurrence:
- hypertension,
- cardiovascular diseases,
- type 2 diabetes,
- cancer,
- cholelithiasis,
- constipation,
- haemorrhoids,
- tooth decay,
- obesity.
Furthermore, it has been studied that weight loss in vegans and vegan women does not depend on exercise. It occurs at a rate of about 0.5 kg per month. Vegans are therefore slimmer.
Vegan diet - disadvantages
People on a vegan diet may be deficient in certain minerals - such as calcium, iodine, iron, selenium or zinc. The reason for this is that the bioavailability of these components is much lower in plant-based products than in animal-based ones. Therefore, it is worth preventing it. Brazil nuts can be a source of selenium, apple cider vinegar of zinc, algae and seaweed of iodine, and plant milks and tofu of calcium. You should also remember to provide yourself with protein by eating legumes and soya products. Also on a vegan diet, supplementation with vitamin B12 and sometimes vitamin D is essential.
