We explain what a vegan is, what is its difference from vegetarianism and what foods vegan people eat.
What is a vegan?
Vegans are those who subscribe to the philosophy of veganism, that is, the rejection of the consumption and use of all products of animal origin. The invention of the term in 1944 is credited with Donald Watson, co-founder of the Vegan Society of England, in the first issue ofThe Vegan News. There, Watson compared animal exploitation with human slavery and accused lactovegetarianism of collaborating with a paradigm unethical of feeding human.
Veganism went from being a philosophy minority to a common one, as, together with the complaints of animal abuse in slaughterhouses and intensive breeding farms, medical studies were made public that advised against a meat diet rich in fats, making it responsible for many of the contemporary endemic diseases, such as cancer or diabetes.
In this way, there are different types of veganism, depending on their level of commitment not only to human health, but to respect for human health. dignity of others living beings, including animals Y plants, for example:
- Ethical veganism. One who shows rejection of the unworthy conditions in which many farm animals are treated on farms and slaughterhouses, through a moral rejection towards the consumption of any product linked to said industries: white and red meats, dairy products, leather products, etc.
- Environmental veganism. His main motivation has to do with environmentalism and the preservation of biodiversity of the species, for which they understand as a necessary measure of force the abandonment of all kinds of consumption of products of animal origin, whether or not they are edible. They view with concern the impact of farming Y cattle raising at environment and the deforestation and other industrial activities on the planet.
Differences between veganism and vegetarianism
The term "vegan" arose in the 20th century, as has been said, as a result of the need to distinguish simple vegetarianism, which adheres to a diet free of meat of all kinds, from its most extreme variant, which rejects everything food from animals, which includes eggs, milk, honey or any product made with them.
Until then, they were referred to as "total vegetarians", as they represented a more extreme view of vegetarianism, which simply avoided meats, but not other animal products.
In fact, the vegan philosophy not only covered food issues, but also promoted a paradigm for the manufacture of objects that also avoided the use of animals as raw material: leather shoes and handbags, fur coats, etc.
What do vegans eat?
The vegan diet is focused on the substitution of foods of animal origin for others of plant origin, which faces them with the difficulty of obtaining certain essential nutrients, such as vitamin B12 (exclusively from animal feed), vitamin D, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, zinc, selenium, and iron. Therefore, they must either take vitamin supplements or plan their way of eating very well.
- Protein. To obtain protein, vegans generally turn to legumes: soybeans (and its derived products, such as tofu or soy milk), peas, peanuts, beans, chickpeas (with which a flour or flour can also be made a paste like himhummus Arab); or to grains: quinoa, rice, corn, barley and wheat. Dried fruits (almonds, walnuts) or hemp or sunflower seeds are also used.
- Calcium. To supplement all kinds of dairy foods, vegans should turn to fortified soy milk (with added calcium), or almonds, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, vegetables such as broccoli (with low oxalate content), turnips, cabbages , spinach and, above all, they should make sure to consume vitamin D, essential to fix calcium.
- Iron. An essential element for the transport of oxygen, it can be obtained in a vegan diet by consuming foods such as lentils, black molasses, quinoa, beans and chickpeas. Iron absorption can also be improved by consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits or cauliflower, and generally avoiding foods rich in tannins such as coriander, turmeric, chili peppers and tamarind.
- Essential fatty acids. Since they cannot be synthesized in the body, these acids must be consumed and for the most part they can be obtained from various types of oils, as part of a vegan diet: chia, sclarea, linseed, camelina, rosehip, soybean oil. , of peanuts or canola; as well as chia seeds, walnuts, raspberries or flax seeds.
- Iodine. Iodine, so abundant in fish and shellfish, is vital for the body's hormonal process, but is scarce in vegetables. Its required quota can be met by using fortified salts.