Vegans avoid food that comes from animals, including meat, eggs and dairy products (like milk, cheese, and yogurt). A vegan diet is sometimes called a strict vegetarian diet. Some vegans also do not eat honey. Many vegans try not to use any other animal products, such as leather, wool, feathers, bone, or pearl. They also try to avoid buying and using products that have been tested on animals. They may believe in animal welfare and animal rights, and may campaign for these causes.
Donald Watson made the word vegan in 1944.
Why are people vegan?Edit
Some people become vegan because they disagree with the treatment of animals in the modern animal farm industry. Other reasons to become vegan are for health, religious reasons, to protect the environment, or because of world hunger. Animals eat a lot and take up a lot of resources. By not producing meat, milk, or eggs, a lot of food, land (as of 2006, 30% of the earth's land mass is used raising animals for food) and water can be saved. For instance, it takes about 16 pounds of grain to make 1 pound of grain-fed meat, so eating plants directly takes fewer resources.
Types of veganismEdit
Some vegans only eat foods that have not been cooked. Their diet is called raw veganism.
Another more restrictive type of veganism is fruitarianism. Fruitarians only eat foods that can be harvested without harming or killing a plant.
Need for vitamin B12Edit
Vegans must make sure their diet includes an adequate supply of vitamin B12, because it does not occur reliably in plant foods. Vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious bad effects on the person's health. These might include anemia and neurodegenerative diseases. California-based dietitian nutritionist Ashley Lytwyn said “Nutrients like B12 can be tough to get with a vegan diet, and the iron in vegetables isn’t as bioavailable as iron in animal proteins.” “Even if he ate enough iron-rich vegetables, the body can’t always absorb what it needs.” Vegan societies recommend that vegans either eat foods with added B12 or take a B12 supplement. Tempeh, seaweed, spirulina, organic produce, soil, and intestinal bacteria have not been shown to be reliable sources of B12 for the dietary needs of vegans. Vitamin D deficiency is possible in the absence of dairy products (which are normally fortified with vitamin D). It can be prevented by supplements, and time spent outdoors.
Many people think that it is not healthy to be vegan. However, a vegan diet can have all of the nutrients needed for health. It is just more difficult to get the nutrients because there are fewer foods to choose from.
- Vegan Outreach. "Vegan Outreach FAQ - What about honey and silk?". Retrieved 2012-09-14.
- "Livestock a major threat to environment". www.fao.org.
- "What every vegan should know about vitamin B12". Vegan Society. Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.
- Jack Norris (2003). "Staying a healthy Vegan". Vegan Outreach. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
There are no reliable, unfortified plant sources of vitamin B12; therefore fortified foods and/or supplements are necessary for the optimal health of vegans.
- "Vitamin B12 Information Sheet". Vegetarian Society. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
any B12 present in plant foods is likely to be unavailable to humans and so these foods should not be relied upon as safe sources.
- "Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)". Merck Manual Home Edition. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
- "Veganism Has Gone Mainstream". April 22, 2018.
- "Healthy choices on a vegan diet". Vegan Society. Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
- Reed Mangels. "Vitamin B12 in the Vegan Diet". Vegetarian Resource Group. Retrieved 2007-02-22. External link in
- "Don't vegetarians have trouble getting enough Vitamin B12?". Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- Jack Norris. "Vegan health: B12 in tempeh, seaweeds, organic produce, and other plant foods". veganhealth.org. Vegan Outreach. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- Jack Norris. "Vegan Health: are intestinal bacteria a reliable source of B12?". veganhealth.org. Vegan Outreach. Retrieved 2007-02-22.