Who are vegans and what are the reasons for their choice?

You become a vegetarian for many reasons, including health, religious beliefs, concerns about the welfare of animals (especially pigs) or the use of antibiotics and other drugs on farms, or a desire to eat in a manner that avoids excessive use of environmental resources.

A beautiful phrase created by a vegan writer and poet says: “The vegan is the one who eats everything without eating anyone”. It is a simple and very true sentence. Vegans eat anything that doesn’t come from animal exploitation.

Just think that, in an increasingly overpopulated and climate-changing world, the control of food production has become a huge business for a handful of a few gigantic companies. From Chinese mega intensive farms to the Amazon rainforest, threatened to make room for soybean crops, one of the major legumes used for animal feed; the pork industry is jeopardizing the social and environmental balance of the planet.

The American companies that hold the largest pork production are Smithfield Foods and Murphy-Brown,these are now owned by the WH Group, the new name of the formerly Chinese state-owned Shuanghui, a now private company that rakes in a cool 200 million dollars profit each quarter. 47% of the world’s pigs are reared in China, and Chinese companies are pushing to take total control of the pig population. First, to secure the resources (arable land in China is hard to come by these days) and then, by taking over American corporations, to learn how to produce efficiently on so little land. “More than just the ownership of the companies, the very model of pork production has been exported to China”.

The biggest problem here is that animals are kept in overcrowded group-pens, as if they were living in a sort of city” , explains Rick Dove from the NGO Waterkeeper Alliance. These breeding farms generally produce huge amounts of wastewater, that eventually flow out into fields or waterways, making air unbreathable and polluting the groundwater in the fragile coastal areas of North Carolina, compromising the ecosystem. Big corporations have gradually purchased all of these farms, building up a vertical integration system. One single parent company owns every step on the ladder: sow farms, feed manufacturing plants, the vehicles for transporting animals, and finally the slaughterhouses where pigs are slaughtered and processed. Industrial farming means raising lots of animals in a confined space, animal health is compromised, and antibiotics are routinely used to both prevent disease and increase the weight of animals.

Just think that in 1960 about 10 billion animals were killed per year, today 70 billion are killed, and in 2050 when the population reaches 10 billion, it will reach 120 billion animals killed every year.

Intensive farming today consumes about 1/3 of the arable land for the cultivation of soya, cereals such as corn and oil seeds, for the production of animal feed.

Where will we find all that land for cultivations destined for intensive farming? Couldn’t we use these lands for growing vegetables or plants used for food? This involves deforestation and the use of uncontaminated land as in Africa and Brazil, where China already has agreements.

(Watch Soyalism -The new documentary by Stefano Liberti and Enrico Parenti illustrates how intensive pig farming and soybean cultivation are threatening local agricultural industries, our health and that of our planet too, from the USA to Africa and Brazil.)

The history of veganism

The father of the term “vegan” was the Englishman Donald Watson (pictured), to whom we owe the birth, in 1944, of the Vegan Society in London. Watson died in 2005, at the age of 95, giving a more than real testimony that being vegan means living well and for a long time. More specifically, Watson, already a member of the Vegetarian Society, in the 1940s, after adopting a new, more dogmatic dietary orientation that excluded milk, eggs, cheese and any other animal derivatives, coined the term “vegan”. Basically, a crasis of the word “vegetarian” of which only the first three and the last two letters remained and which metaphorically meant “the beginning and the end of vegetarianism”.

What does vegan mean?

A well-planned vegetarian diet containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds can provide adequate nutrition. Vegetarian diets are free from meat foods (such as beef or pork, poultry, game, seafood and their products). Vegetarianism is practiced differently. Here is a list of the most common vegetarian practices, from the most to the least restrictive:

• Fruitarians – They only eat mostly raw foods of vegetable origin.
• Vegans – They only eat foods of plant origin, such as fruit, nuts, vegetables, legumes and cereals.
• Lacto-Vegetarians – They eat foods of plant origin, milk and its derivatives.
• Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians – They eat foods of plant origin, milk and its derivatives and eggs.
• Peach-Vegetarians – They eat foods of plant origin, milk and its derivatives, eggs and fish.
• Partially Vegetarians – They eat all foods except red meat.

The variety of being a vegetarian is truly wide. Some people consider themselves vegetarians, but they regularly eat poultry and fish. Others just avoid meat, but consume eggs, milk, and cheese freely. Still others strictly avoid all products of animal origin, including milk and eggs, and even by-products such as candy or sweets made with jelly.

What is a vegetable?

This generic term indicates all autotrophic living organisms (which are born, grow, feed, reproduce and die) which can be unicellular or even very complex multicellular.

By autotrophy we mean the ability of a living being to synthesize organic molecules starting from inorganic elements such as water, carbon dioxide and minerals, or through chlorophyll photosynthesis . For this reason, mushrooms cannot be counted among plants, but are part of a kingdom of their own.

Starting from this specificity, plants represent a very extensive and diversified family, just consider how different a potato is from a corncob or an asparagus, a vegetable is a plant, or part of a plant, used as food.

Ecological Benefits of Vegetarian Nutrition

Critics note the environmental costs of agribusiness, including massive uses of water and grain for animal feed, greenhouse gases such as methane and other animal waste, and increased land use to support cattle.

Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products, as they use fewer natural resources and are associated with less environmental damage. The current worldwide consumption of foods high in meat and dairy products is considered by some to be unsustainable and many scientists are calling for a substantial reduction in the consumption of animal products. Compared to omnivorous diets, vegetarian diets use fewer water and fossil fuel resources and use fewer pesticides and fertilizers. For example, replacing beans with beef in the diet would significantly reduce the environmental footprint worldwide. 18 times less land, 10 times less water, 9 times less fuel are needed to produce protein from 1 kg of beans.

Vegetarian nutrition: health benefits 

Many people become vegetarians for the health benefits of this eating pattern. Research has consistently shown that a varied and balanced vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Health benefits include:

• Reduced fat intake  and total energy , resulting in a reduced risk of obesity. This in turn can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Blood pressure is generally lower in vegetarians , possibly due to a higher intake of fruit and vegetables. Additionally, people following a vegetarian diet tend to be non-smokers, drink little or no alcohol, and exercise regularly, all known to reduce blood pressure and help maintain a healthy body weight.
• Reduced risk of heart disease , which may be due to a reduction in saturated fat intake and increased consumption of antioxidants found in plant foods. Antioxidants are substances that can protect our cells from free radical damage.
• Minor digestive problems  such as constipation and diverticular disease, possibly due to the higher fiber content of vegetarian diets.
• Reduction of the risk of some cancers . Research shows that vegetarians may have lower rates of cancer, particularly colon cancer. Many components of a vegetarian diet could contribute to reducing the risk of cancer, including a greater presence of fiber and antioxidants, a reduction in dietary fat intake, a reduced consumption of carcinogens that are formed during the cooking of meat and a consumption higher in soy protein.
• Reduced risk of kidney disease , kidney stones and gallstones. The lower protein content of vegetarian diets, plus the higher intake of legumes and vegetable proteins such as soy, may be protective against these conditions.

Precautions to avoid running into nutritional deficiencies with a vegetarian diet

While a vegetarian diet can be healthy, it also presents many challenges. Limiting the consumption of meat and dairy products can easily lead to nutritional deficiencies, especially for people who adopt a vegan, macrobiotic or fruitarian diet.

Vegetarians who consume dairy products and / or eggs get the nutrients more easily. But if you choose to follow a more restrictive vegetarian diet, more effort is required in your food choices. The diet must be more varied to ensure adequate intake of all nutrients and balanced from the energy point of view, to ensure the body enough energy for metabolism and muscle work.

A vegetarian may not suffer from dietary deficiencies if their diet includes sufficient amounts of proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Proteins in the vegetarian diet

Proteins are a tool for the growth and maintenance of the organism. They are formed by the combination of 20 amino acids. Nine of these are not produced by the body and must be consumed in the diet. They are called essential. Animal proteins (derived from meat, fish, eggs and milk) are high quality proteins because they contain all the essential amino acids and are very digestible. Vegetable proteins they generally have a lower quality, a lower digestibility and lack some essential amino acids. Soy proteins are an exception to this rule, but also a diet in which cereals and legumes are often combined (rice and peas, pasta and beans, spelled and chickpeas, barley and lentils, etc.) can “create” proteins complete.

Here is a list of the richest plant sources of protein needed for vegetarians:

• Legumes : Rich in fiber and low in fat, they are the most important vegetable source of protein. Foods with a better protein profile include soy, lentils, beans, chickpeas, broad beans and peas;
• Cereals: Combined with legumes, they provide a complete supply of essential amino acids. The richest in proteins are foods based on wheat, spelled, oats, buckwheat, rye and barley;
• Nuts : Naturally cholesterol-free, it is an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts and pine nuts have a good protein profile;
• Seeds : They have similar nutritional characteristics to dried fruit. The richest in proteins are pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds;
• Vegetables : The protein content of some types of vegetables should not be underestimated. This is the case with broccoli, artichokes, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Vitamins and minerals essential for those who follow a vegetarian diet

Vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin; for vegans, supplementation in pills is therefore generally recommended, especially during growth, pregnancy and breastfeeding, phases in which some specialists suggest abandoning regimes that are too restrictive to safeguard health.

Iron intake it is generally low in all vegetarians. It is a very common deficiency in all societies, both industrialized and developing ones, because all the iron necessary to carry out the numerous functions it deals with in the body is introduced with the diet. Although vegetables, especially legumes and some vegetables, are rich in iron, the absorption of the iron contained in them is relatively poor. It can be increased by eating foods containing vitamin C at the same time during the meal. Vitamin C in fact, it promotes the assimilation of iron of vegetable origin, while substances such as tannin, contained in tea, fibers and phytates, contained for example in legumes, reduce it. Always seasoning with lemon juice can be a good habit, as well as adding lemon to the water you drink.

If you do not consume milk and cheese, vegetarians may lack vitamin D and calcium, two essential nutrients for the many functions they perform in the body, in particular for bone health and growth. Calcium is contained in fairly high amounts in broccoli, but it can also be beneficial to choose soy milks enriched with this mineral. For vitamin D it is sufficient to expose the skin to sunlight, which activates this vitamin.

Example of a daily and weekly menu for a balanced vegetarian diet

Daily menu:

Here is an example of a nutrient-rich daily menu ideal for those following a vegetarian diet:

• BREAKFAST : A cup of cow’s milk (or plant milk with added calcium), two slices of wholemeal bread with a spread made from seeds or nuts (such as tahini or peanut butter) and 150 g of fresh fruit (for example, a apple or two kiwis).

• LUNCH : A portion of Peas, broccoli and spinach plus a side dish based on fresh vegetables (for example, a salad with rocket, radishes, cherry tomatoes and olives).

• SNACK : A low-fat yogurt (from cow’s milk or soy), a fresh fruit and 30 g of dried fruit (about 5 nuts, 20 almonds or 25 pistachios).

• DINNER : A portion of vegetable soup and a side dish based on cooked vegetables (for example, sautéed spinach, sautéed zucchini or baked peppers).

Weekly menu:

Here is an example of a weekly menu develops when choosing to follow a vegetarian diet aimed at weight loss. Menu that obviously will have to be drawn up by a specialist according to everyone’s caloric needs.

• Monday –  Breakfast: Coffee or tea, vegetable yogurt with pieces of fruit and nuts.
• Snack: an apple.
• Lunch: wholemeal pasta with mixed sautéed vegetables, mixed tomato and fennel salad and a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Snack: almonds.

• Tuesday –  Breakfast: Low-fat Greek yogurt with muesli and blueberries, a coffee or tea.
• Snack: a fruit smoothie.
• Lunch: saffron brown rice with courgettes, mixed salad with cucumbers, carrots and walnuts.
• Snack: a fruit.
• Dinner: low-fat cheese with raw and cooked vegetables of your choice and two slices of wholemeal bread.

• Wednesday –  Breakfast: a coffee or tea, a slice of wholemeal bread with jam or honey, a fruit.
• Snack: dried fruit and an herbal tea.
• Lunch: Buckwheat pasta with cherry tomatoes, feta and walnuts, mixed salad.
• Snack: Vegetable or low-fat yogurt with blueberries.
• Dinner: cream of chickpeas, courgettes and leeks with wholemeal bread croutons, a square of extra-dark chocolate.

• Thursday –  Breakfast: yogurt with a cup of wholemeal muesli and fruit.
• Snack: dried fruit.
• Lunch: eggs with steamed green beans and tomato salad, one fruit.
• Snack: fruit and an herbal tea.
• Dinner: rice, vegetable and lentil soup, steamed asparagus seasoned with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

• Friday –  Breakfast: strawberry and banana fruit salad with oats and almonds.
• Snack: a fruit smoothie.
• Lunch: mixed salad with lettuce, tomato and radicchio with low-fat cheese or chickpea porridge.
• Snack: vegetable or low-fat yogurt with red fruits.
• Dinner: Venere rice with courgettes, peas and cherry tomatoes, steamed broccoli and a dessert.

• Saturday –  Breakfast: vegetable or skim milk with whole grains and a fruit.
• Snack: citrus juice.
• Lunch: pasta and beans with tomato, mixed vegetable salad.
• Snack: dried fruit.
• Dinner: vegetable soup with slices of wholemeal bread, one fruit.

• Sunday –  Breakfast: herbal tea or coffee and fresh fruit with biscuits and jam.
• Snack: fruit smoothie.
• Lunch: eggs with mixed or cooked raw vegetables such as spinach or herbs, wholemeal bread.