Veganism
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.[c] A person who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan.
"Vegan" redirects here. For other uses, see Vegan (disambiguation). For notable vegans, see List of vegans.Veganism
Veganism /ˈviËÉ¡É™nɪzÉ™m/ VEE-gÉ™-niz-É™m
Vegan /ˈviËÉ¡É™n/ VEE-gÉ™n[a]
Avoiding the use of animal products, particularly in diet
- Al-Ma'arri (c. 973 – c. 1057)[b]
- Roger Crab (1621 – 1680)[6]
- Johann Conrad Beissel (1691 – 1768)[7]
- James Pierrepont Greaves (1777 – 1842)[8]
- Lewis Gompertz (c. 1784 – 1861)[9]
- Amos Bronson Alcott (1799 – 1888)[10]
- Donald Watson (1910 – 2005)[11]
Dorothy Morgan and Donald Watson (November 1944)[3][4]
Distinctions may be made between several categories of veganism. Dietary vegans, also known as "strict vegetarians", refrain from consuming meat, eggs, dairy products, and any other animal-derived substances.[d] An ethical vegan is someone who not only excludes animal products from their diet but also tries to avoid using animals,[19] animal products,[e] and animal-tested products[22] when practical.[23] Another term is "environmental veganism", which refers to the avoidance of animal products on the grounds that the industrial farming of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.[24] Another motivation for veganism is concern about animal welfare.
Vegan diets tend to be higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, and phytochemicals, and lower in dietary energy, saturated fat, cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acid, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12.[f] As a result of the elimination of all animal products, a poorly planned vegan diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies that counteract its beneficial effects and cause serious health issues,[25][26][27] some of which can only be prevented with fortified foods or dietary supplements.[25][28] Vitamin B12 supplementation is important because its deficiency can cause blood disorders and potentially irreversible neurological damage; this danger is also one of the most common in poorly planned non-vegan diets.[27][29][30]
The word vegan was coined by Donald Watson and his later wife Dorothy Morgan in 1944.[3][31] Interest in veganism increased significantly in the 2010s.
Increasing interest
Alternative food movements
In the 1960s and 1970s, a vegetarian food movement emerged as part of the counterculture in the United States that focused on concerns about diet, the environment, and a distrust of food producers, leading to increasing interest in organic gardening.[92][93] One of the most influential vegetarian books of that time was Frances Moore Lappé's 1971 Diet for a Small Planet.[94] It sold more than three million copies and suggested "getting off the top of the food chain".[95]
The following decades saw research by a group of scientists and doctors in the U.S., including Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, Neal D. Barnard, John A. McDougall, Michael Greger, and biochemist T. Colin Campbell, who argued that diets based on animal fat and animal protein, such as the Western pattern diet, were unhealthy.[96] They produced a series of books that recommend vegan or vegetarian diets, including McDougall's The McDougall Plan (1983), John Robbins's Diet for a New America (1987), which associated meat eating with environmental damage, and Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease (1990).[97] In 2003 two major North American dietitians' associations indicated that well-planned vegan diets were suitable for all life stages.[98][99] This was followed by the film Earthlings (2005), Campbell's The China Study (2005), Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin's Skinny Bitch (2005), Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals (2009), and the film Forks over Knives (2011).[100]
In the 1980s, veganism became associated with punk subculture and ideologies, particularly straight edge hardcore punk in the U.S.[101] and anarcho-punk in the United Kingdom.[102] This association continues into the 21st century, as evidenced by the prominence of vegan punk events such as Fluff Fest in Europe.[103][104]
In some countries, vegans have some rights to meals and legal protections against discrimination.