The
Vegan Society have seen a massive rise in popularity during their
Diamond Jubilee as they celebrate 60 years since Donald Watson
first created the word vegan (from the beginning and end of vegetarian)
and founded the educational charity.
Books such as The Animal Free Shopper and
Plant Based Nutrition and Health have been published, new studies
commissioned, new initiatives
for chefs started, new products such as vegan fishless smoked salmon
created and there’s been celebrations at events all over the
world.
The national newspapers, particularly the Guardian have featured
stories warning about the un-sustainability of the present system
of things. Not only are modern meat and dairy production methods
threatening human health they are threatening the planet with devastating
consequences. If the emerging cultures follow in our footsteps the
results will be catastrophic.
Looking at The Facts
The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada agree that well
planned vegan diets are a great idea. They issued a report to clarify their
position on Vegetarian and Vegan diets in June 2003.* J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:748-765.
The paper reviewed the latest scientific data
related to key nutrients for vegetarians, including protein, iron,
zinc, calcium, vitamin
D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids, and iodine.
They concluded ‘A vegetarian, including vegan, diet can meet
current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases,
use of fortified foods or supplements can be helpful in meeting recommendations
for individual nutrients.’
‘Well-planned vegan and other types
of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life
cycle, including during pregnancy,
lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Vegetarian diets
offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of
saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher
levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and
antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians
have been reported to have lower body mass indices than non-vegetarians,
as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians
also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and
lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon
cancer.’
Their advice to Health professionals is “Dietetics
professionals have a responsibility to support and encourage those
who express
an interest in consuming a vegetarian diet.”
So what attracts people to veganism?
The ADA found that “Common reasons for choosing a vegetarian diet include
health considerations, concern for the environment, and animal welfare factors. “ Also “economic
reasons, ethical considerations, world hunger issues, and religious beliefs.” The Vegetarian Society experience is that
the biggest percentage (over 40%) say they were vegetarian for
health reasons. With the
rest divided between animal welfare and the environment – a
minority cited not liking the taste of meat as a reason.
This is somewhat ironic considering many vegetarians merely substitute
meat with other saturated fat rich animal products such as cheese.
Many meals are based around starchy simple carbohydrates rather than
complex carbs and are often protein poor.
Amongst members of The Vegan Society a much
higher percentage cite animal welfare and the environment for adopting
a purely plant based
diet. Health is more often a secondary concern rather than a primary
one for vegans. Many vegans typically benefit from a reduction in
saturated fats from animal products such as dairy and increased intake
of phyto-nutrients from plant foods. However they often still consume
undesirable amounts of hydrogenated fats from convenience vegan foods
(such as the infamous Holland & Barrett vegan pork-less pie)
or inhibit their intake of essential Omega 3 by consuming too much
Omega 6 rich sunflower oil found in vegan staples such as shop bought
hummus. Like the vegetarians many vegans also typically consume white
pasta/rice high simple carbohydrate meals with some kind of sauce
on vegetables. There are also a surprising number of vegans who smoke
and drink heavily
Despite these often less than optimum diets, in dietary analysis
studies vegans are always at least comparable to healthy eaters and
vegetarians and many studies suggest they are healthier.
The Vegan Society maintains that providing
Vegans ensure adequate sources of complete protein, green leafy
vegetables, vitamin B12
and maintain a balance of EFA’s there is no reason why they
can’t avoid many of the major killers of the 21st century identified
by The World Health Organisation.
Continued: Veganism for Optimum
Nutrition |
