Vegan
A vegan (noun) is a person who avoids as far as possible the use of any animal products (and usually the use of animals themselves) for nourishment or for any other purpose.
Vegan is also as an adjective to describe people (one who avoids all animal products), diets (plant-based), food (containing no animal products), and products (containing no animal products and not animal tested).
Overview
The word vegan (pronounced vee-gun, but less commonly as vay-gun) was originally derived from vegetarian in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson founded the UK Vegan Society. The word starts and ends with the first three and last two letters of vegetarian, representing that veganism begins with vegetarianism and then takes it to its logical conclusion. Therefore the term vegan was originally coined to differentiate those vegetarians who (primarily for ethical or environmental reasons) sought to eliminate all animal products in all areas of their lives from those who simply avoided eating meat.
Those who are vegans for ethical reasons today generally oppose the violence and cruelty they see as involved in the (non-vegan) food, clothing and other industries. By extension cruelty and exploitation are avoided in all human activities and relationships between people as well as with animals. Animal products such as leather, silk or wool are avoided. Soap must be of vegetable oil instead of animal. Toothpaste and hair product etc. must not be tested by animal experiments such as the Draize or the LD50 tests.
- The group argued that the elimination of exploitation of any kind was necessary in order to bring about a more reasonable and humane society. From its inception, veganism was defined as a "philosophy" and "way of living." It was never intended to be merely a diet and, still today, describes a lifestyle and belief system that revolves around a reverence for life. - Joanne Stepaniak (author of The Vegan Sourcebook}.
Veganism (as a diet) is thus a stricter form of vegetarianism and is an expansion of vegetarian ideals. Some vegans insist on organically grown fruits and vegetables. The term used is "veganic". Some vegans will only eat raw fruits and choose to avoid damaging the plant from which the fruit comes. The term for this is "fruitarian".
That the vegan movement has distanced itself, over the years, from the simple dietary practice of vegetarians is evidenced in British supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Tesco and the Co-op by the numerous products which are marked either "suitable for vegetarians" or "suitable for vegetarians and vegans" - clearly giving mainstream acceptance to the difference between the two systems. For instance, the Co-op supermarket has a website where customers can learn more about these two philosophies dietary requirements).
Animal products
Animal products include all forms of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy products, fur, leather, wool, silk, and byproducts such as gelatin, rennet, whey, and the like. The Vegan Society and most vegans include insect products such as honey and beeswax in their definition as well. There is some debate on the finer points of what constitutes an animal product; some vegans avoid cane sugar that has been filtered with bone char and some won't drink beers and wines clarified with egg whites, animal blood (this is exceedingly rare today), or isinglass (even though they are not present in the final product). Further, some vegans won't eat food cooked in pans if they have ever been used to cook meat, while other vegans are content to simply remove meat, fish, eggs, and milk from their diets.
Motivation
Many vegans cite as their primary motivation, the concept of reducing animal suffering. Utilitarian philosopers, such such as Jeremy Bentham, and especially Peter Singer, argue that the suffering of all sentient animals should be taken into consideration when making ethical decision; thus, by abstaining from consuming products from animals exploited for food - veganism is the application of this system of ethics. Though Peter Singer's ethical theory recognizes the suffering of sentient animals, it does not, however, rely on the concept of rights. However, philosophers such as Tom Regan and Gary Francione believe that because sentient animals are capable of valuing their life, they have the inherent right to possess their own flesh, and therefore it is unethical to treat sentient animals as property, or as a commodity.
For many, the vegan philosophy also has close connections with the concept of Ahimsa, a Sanskrit word central to the Jain sect of Hinduism and taught by Mahatma Gandhi - Ahimsa roughly means "non-killing and non-harming." The American Vegan Society website says: "It is not mere passiveness, but a positive method of meeting the dilemmas and decisions of daily life. In the western world, we call it Dynamic Harmlessness." Ahimsa is also used as an acronym: Abstinence from animal products, Harmlessness with reverence for life, Integrity of thought, word, and deed, Mastery over oneself, Service to humanity, nature, and creation, and Advancement of understanding and truth.
Those who avoid animal products for reasons of health (eg, due to allergies or to avoid cholesterol) rather than compassion sometimes describe themselves as "dietary vegans". However, popular vegan author Joanne Stepaniak argues that this term is inappropriate because veganism is by definition about helping animals. She believes that a term such as "total vegetarian" would be a better categorisation for those who, for example, avoid eating meat and dairy products, but continue to buy new leather shoes.
A Time/CNN poll published in Time Magazine July 7, 2002, found that 4% of Americans consider themselves vegetarians, and 5% of self-described vegetarians consider themselves vegans. This small-sampled poll may suggest that two-tenths-of-one-percent of Americans are vegans; therefore, there are about half-a-million American vegans. A 2000 poll suggested closer to 0.9% of the USA population may be vegan, i.e. 2.5 million citizens.
In the UK, research [1] showed that 0.4%, approximately 250 000 people were vegan in 2001.
Veganism: reaction, or return to nature?
Veganism is seen by some as a reaction to perceived modern exploitation and alienation from nature of non-human animals. Because of this, some people feel that veganism is not a complete return to human's "essential" relation to nature. They feel therefore that veganism still has some way to go before it can claim to have restored a healthful and authentic diet, and a natural, sustainable way of life. Other goals including polyculture and other means of sustainable agriculture. Some vegans see this as part and parcel of their veganism.
Similar diets
There are several diets similar to veganism, including the aforementioned fructarian diet, raw foods, and the macrobiotic diet. There are also numerous religious groups that regularly or occasionally practice a similar diet, including some sects of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, as well as some Christian sects as the Eastern Orthodox church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Vegan Nutrition
The best way for any person, Vegan or not, to attain adequate nutrition is to eat a variety of foods from different food groups (see Food_pyramid).
For most people, especially Vegans, dietary supplements are helpful. Dietary supplements derived entirely from plant sources do exist. Most commercial multi-vitamin supplements cover almost all human vitamin needs, except calcium, so a separate calcium supplement should be taken. OMEGA-3 fatty acids have also been found helpful and the best Vegan source is from fresh, cold pressed flaxseed oil.
One should note that nutrition is about balance. Too much or too little of one nutrient can be dangerous. One must remember not to over-do dietary supplementation. For example, some people may take a multi-vitamin supplement and a separate vitamin C supplement. This could be dangerous over time, depending on how much vitamin C is in the multi-vitamin. In the USA the FDA maintains RDA (recommended daily allowances) for all vitamins. The RDA can actually be considered a safe maximum in many cases.
Also trans fat (partially hydrogenated oil), which is found in some popular Vegan and vegetarian products such as veggie-burgers, French fries and almost all baked goods, should be avoided altogether. It has no nutritional value at all and it can lead to heart disease.
Possible problems
According to the American Dietetic Association's position paper on vegetarian diets, vegans eating a varied diet have ample sources of nutrients, but vegans should pay attention to intake of vitamin B12. There is evidence however that indicates it is not difficult to acquire sufficient levels of B12. Some would say one must consume a variety of foods that are supplemented with it. Others would point out that the bacteria which produce cyanocobalamine (B12) will survive in the human digestive system and produce the B12 without the need for supplements. The foods which contain these supplements include many kinds of rice milk, soy milk, yeast extracts, (supplemented) breakfast cereals, and meat analogs. Vegans may sometimes have lower calcium intake than non-vegetarians --but, then again, their calcium requirements may be lower as well.
Possible benefits
Besides diminishing animal suffering, a vegan diet may reduce the risk of many health problems, including heart failure, obesity, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and cancer. Veganism also may be healthier for the enviroment and may improve the conditions of low income people in and out of third world countries by freeing more food for human consumption.
Vegan cuisine
For a list of vegan recipes complementary to this article see the wiki cookbook section, Vegan cuisine.
Backlash
Like most alternative lifestyles, veganism has generated backlash from outsiders. Much of this is harmless parody; however, veganism is also a ready target of conspiracy theory.
Examples:
- The website "People Eating Tasty Animals", featuring essays and articles about hunting and the consumption of animal products. Best known for the creator's legal battle with PETA.
- The paintings and writings of artist Trenton Doyle Hancock feature creatures called vegans which take control of a people's stomachs, turning them into "vegan vessels".
- In the reality television program "Surviving Nugent", host Ted Nugent, widely known for his anti-animal rights viewpoints, regularly derided the only vegan contestent. Nugent's comments are indicative of a growing tension between vegans and hunting enthusiasts.
See also
Vegan essays online
External links
- Vegan.com http://www.vegan.com/
- Vegan.net http://www.vegan.net/
- Vegan Action http://www.vegan.org/
- The Vegan Society (UK) http://www.vegansociety.com/
- The Vegan Society (US) http://www.americanvegan.org/
- Vegan Views http://www.veganviews.org.uk/
- Vegan Outreach (US) http://www.veganoutreach.org/
- Vegan eateries in London http://www.veganlondon.freeserve.co.uk/eateries.htm
- Interviews with Joanne Stepaniak http://www.annonline.com/interviews/981112/
- National (UK) vegan festival http://www.veganfestival.freeserve.co.uk/
- Vegan Village http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/
- Vegan Research panel
- Vegan Family House http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/
- Movement For Compassionate Living http://www.MCLveganway.org.uk
- Is It Vegan? http://isitvegan.info/ (online database listing products suitable for vegans)
- Beyond Vegetarianism http://www.beyondveg.com/
- Vegan Blog http://getvegan.com/blog/blogger.php
- Cheap vegan meals http://www.frugal.org.uk/recipes.html
- Free online talks on vegan nutrition http://www.veganMD.org
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
- Fruitarian Links http://hem.fyristorg.com/fruitarian/links.html
(See also external links on the vegetarianism page.)
Referenced By
List of diets | Monoculture | Skinhead | Skinheads | Vegan (creature)
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