Veganism is increasing in popularity and is a diet and lifestyle that has many benefits.
History of Veganism
The Vegan Society was founded in 1944 by Donald Watson and Elsie Shrigley, in response to the broadening of the term "vegetarian" to include the eating of dairy products, according to the society's Web site. The first vegan society in the United States was founded in California in 1948 by Dr. Catherine Nimmo and Rubin Abramowitz, and was subsequently incorporated into the the American Vegan Society after its founding in 1960 by Jay Dinshah, says The Vegan Sourcebook.
In 1984, a 'breakaway' group from the Vegan Society, the Movement for Compassionate Living was founded by former Vegan Society secretary Kathleen Jannaway to promote sustainable living and self-sufficiency in addition to veganism, according to an article in Vegan Views. Today, there are many vegan societies worldwide, including national societies in Australia, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.
In 1994, the annual World Vegan Day was established on November 1st, the day of the Vegan Society's founding, says its site.
The word vegan was coined in 1944 by Watson, who combined the first three and last two letters of vegetarian to form "vegan," which he saw as "the beginning and end of vegetarian," according to the Vegan Society and Vegetarians in Paradise Web Magazine.
The Vegan Society defines veganism in this way: The word "veganism" denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
But for every vegan, the definition is different. Whereas many vegans start this endeavor because they don't want to consume animal products due to ethical concerns regarding animal rights or the environment, others become vegan for health reasons or religious aspects.
Various polls have reported vegans to be between 0.2 percent and 1.3 percent of the U.S. population, and between 0.25 percent and 0.4 percent of the UK population.
Vegan Diet
Diet for vegans can be difficult in a world that eats a lot of meat and dairy. Properly planned vegan diets are healthful and have been found to satisfy nutritional needs. However, poorly planned vegan diets can be low in levels of calcium, iodine, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. A diet full of carbohydrates is poo-pooed, where that category is high on the pyramid (meaning low consumption) and high-fiber, whole grains are encouraged.
It's not hard to find substitutes for the "usual" products in typical recipes. Many recipes that traditionally contain animal products can be adapted by substituting plant-based ingredients, such as nut, grain or soy milks can be used to replace cow's milk and eggs can be replaced by applesauce or commercial starch-based substitute products, depending upon the recipes. Additionally, artificial "meat" products made from non-animal derived ingredients such as soy or gluten including imitation sausages, ground beef, burgers, and chicken nuggets are widely available and there are many recipes available using these substitutes.
Health benefits
A 1999 meta-study of five studies comparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian mortality rates in western countries found the mortality rate due to ischemic heart disease 26 percent lower among vegans compared to regular meat eaters, but 34 percent lower among ovolactovegetarians and those who ate fish but no other meat. No significant difference in mortality was found from other causes. A 2006 study found that in people with type 2 diabetes a low-fat vegan diet reduced weight, BMI, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol and did so to a greater extent than the diet prescribed by the American Diabetes Association, according to an article by Diabetes Care.
The topic of veganism is so widespread, and there are so many resources online. A simple Google search can produce a lot, but a good starting point is the PETA Web site's cooking section and Vegweb.com. There are many good blogs you can find, of real vegans sharing their struggles and recipes.
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