The logo of the world's first organization for vegans, the Vegan Society, registered in 1944. The Vegan Society is a Registered charity in the United Kingdom, promoting Veganism.

Veganism is a philosophy and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language The term lifestyle was originally coined by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in 1929 ^[1][2] Vegans endeavor not to use or consume animal products of any kind. Animal products are either produced by an Animal or taken from the body of an animal ^[3] The most common reasons for becoming a vegan are ethical commitment or moral convictions concerning animal rights, the environment, human health, and spiritual or religious concerns. "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. ^[4][5][2] Of particular concern are the practices involved in factory farming and animal testing, and the intensive use of land and other resources required for animal farming. Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in Animal testing or animal research is the use of non-human Animals in scientific experimentation.

Various polls have reported vegans to be between 0. 2%^[4] and 1. 3%^[6] of the U. S. population, and between 0. 25%^[5] and 2. 24%^[7] of the UK population. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Vegan diets (sometimes called strict or pure vegetarian diets) are a subset of vegetarian diets, which are credited with lowering the risk of colon cancer, heart attack, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, and stroke. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer, includes Cancerous growths in the colon, Rectum and Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply Hypercholesterolemia (literally high blood cholesterol is the presence of high levels of Cholesterol in the blood. Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the Blood pressure is chronically elevated A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain ^[8] Properly planned vegan diets are healthful and have been found to completely satisfy nutritional needs in every stage of life, including during pregnancy and lactation. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Lactation describes the secretion of Milk from the Mammary glands the process of providing that milk to the young and the period of time that a Mother ^[9] However, poorly planned vegan diets can be low in levels of calcium, iodine, vitamin B₁₂ and vitamin D. Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 Iodine (ˈaɪədaɪn ˈaɪədɪn or /ˈaɪədiːn/ from ιώδης iodes "violet" is a Chemical element that has the symbol I and Atomic Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble Prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 (or Ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (or Vegans are therefore encouraged to plan their diet and take dietary supplements as appropriate. ^[10]

Definition

Various vegan food ingredients

The word vegan, pronounced /ˈviːgən/,^[11] or /ˈvɛdʒən/,^[12] was originally derived from "vegetarian" in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson, frustrated that the term "vegetarianism" had come to include the eating of dairy products, founded the UK Vegan Society. Donald Watson ( 2 September 1910 – 16 November 2005) was founder of the Vegan Society and inventor of the word Vegan. A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep ^[13] They combined the first three and last two letters of vegetarian to form "vegan," which they saw as "the beginning and end of vegetarian. "^[13][14] The Vegan Society defines veganism in this way:

[T]he word "veganism" denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. The Vegan Society is a Registered charity in the United Kingdom, promoting Veganism. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals. ^[1]

Other vegan societies use similar definitions. ^[15][16][17]

Demographics

Data regarding the number of vegans is available in some countries.

United States

Former 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Dennis John Kucinich (kuˈsɪnɪtʃ (born October 8[[ 946]] is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and was a candidate for Kucinich is known for his veganism and support of animal welfare. Animal welfare refers to the viewpoint that it is morally acceptable for humans to use nonhuman animals for food in animal research, as clothing and in entertainment ^[18]

A 2002 Time/CNN poll found that 4% of American adults consider themselves vegetarians, and 5% of self-described vegetarians consider themselves vegans, which implies that 0. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner An opinion poll is a survey of Public opinion from a particular sample. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 2% of American adults are vegans. ^[4] A 2006 poll conducted by Harris Interactive in the US listed specific foods and asked respondents to indicate which items they never eat, rather than asking respondents to self-identify. Harris Interactive ( is an American Market research company that specializes in Public opinion research using both telephone and online The survey found that of the 1,000 adults polled, 1. 4% never eat meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products, or eggs and were therefore essentially vegan in their eating habits. The survey also found that about 1. 4% of men and 1. 3% of women have vegan diets. ^[6]

Europe

In 2002, the UK Food Standards Agency reported that 5% of respondents self-identified as vegetarian or vegan. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Food Standards Agency is a Non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Though 29% of that 5% said they avoided "all animal products", only 5% reported avoiding dairy products. ^[5] Based on these figures, approximately 0. 25% of the UK population follow a vegan diet. In 2005, The Times estimated there were 250,000 vegans in Britain, which suggests around 0. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. 4% of the UK population is vegan. ^[19] However, a 2007 survey for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs into the UK population's attitudes and behaviour towards the environment found that 2. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection 24% of the population identified themselves as vegan. ^[7] In the same study, vegetarians who did not also eat chicken or fish made up 2. 7% of the population. The DEFRA study also indicated that slightly more men than women are vegan, that more vegans live in towns or cities than the country, and that people aged 16-29 were vegan more often than any other age group.

Various polls and research conducted during the 1990s put the percentage of Swedish residents being vegan at between 0. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. 27% and 1. 6% of the entire population. ^[20] A study of the eating patterns of 2,538 Swedish children of ages 4, 8 and 11 by the Swedish National Food Administration found that about 1% of the children were vegetarian, less than 1% were lacto-vegetarians, but found no children to be vegans. The National Food Administration (Livsmedelsverket is a Swedish Government agency that answers to the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Consumer Affairs A lactovegetarian diet is a vegetarian diet which includes Dairy products such as Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Butter, Cream ^[21] The website VeganWelt estimates there to be between 250,000 and 460,500 vegans in Germany, or between 0. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. 3% and 0. 5% of the German population. ^[22] The Netherlands Association for Veganism estimates there to be approximately 16,000 vegans in the Netherlands, or around 0. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands 1% of the Dutch population. ^[23]

Animal products

Main article: Animal product

The term "animal product" in a vegan context refers to any material derived from animals for human use. Animal products are either produced by an Animal or taken from the body of an animal Animal products are either produced by an Animal or taken from the body of an animal ^[2] Notable animal products include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, honey, fur, leather, wool, and silk. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or Seafood is any Sea Animal or Seaweed that is served as Food, or is suitable for eating particularly saltwater animals such An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Dairy products are generally defined as Foodstuffs produced from Milk. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the Fur is a body hair of any non-human Mammal, also known as the Pelage. Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons ^[3] Common animal by-products include gelatin, lanolin, rennet, whey, casein, beeswax, and shellac. Gelatin (also gelatine, from French gélatine) is a translucent colourless brittle nearly tasteless solid substance, extracted from the Lanolin, also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat or wool grease, is a greasy yellow substance secreted by Rennet (ˈrɛnɪt is a natural complex of enzymes produced in any Mammalian Stomach to digest the mother's milk and often used in the production of Cheese Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after Milk has been Curdled and strained it is a By-product of the manufacture of Cheese See Casein paint for information about casein usage in artistic painting For the rock song by Nirvana see Beeswax (song. Beeswax is a natural Wax produced in the bee hive of Honey bees of the genus Shellac is the commercial resin marketed in the form of amber flakes made from Lac, the secretion of the family of lac-producing insects though most commonly from the ^[3]

Animal ingredients can be found in countless products and are used in the production of—though not always present in the final form of—many more;^[24][25][26] many of these ingredients are esoteric,^[27][28] also have non-animal sources,^[29] and especially in non-food products may not even be identified. ^[24] Although some vegans attempt to avoid all these ingredients, Vegan Outreach argues that "it can be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming to shun every minor or hidden animal-derived ingredient," and therefore that doing what is "best for preventing suffering" is more important than identifying and excluding every animal ingredient. Vegan Outreach is an American animal advocacy group working to expose and end cruelty to animals through the widespread distribution of printed informational booklets ^[30][31]

Although honey and silk are by definition animal products, some vegans consider their use and the use of other insect products to be acceptable. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons ^[32]

Ethical concerns

Sows at an intensive pig farm. Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times Intensive piggeries (or hog lots) are a type of Factory farm specialized for the raising of Domestic pigs up to slaughter weight Opposition to factory farming is one of the most common ethical reasons given for veganism. Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in ^[33]

See also: Animal rights, Ethics of eating meat, and Factory farming

Vegan organizations maintain that animals have certain rights, and as such it is not ethical for humans to use animals in ways that infringe those rights. "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. Ethical issues regarding the consumption of Meat can include objections to the act of killing animals and the agricultural practices surrounding the Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life ^[34][35][36] Practices seen as cruel to animals include factory farming,^[33][37][38] animal testing,^[3][39] and displaying animals for entertainment in circuses,^[40] rodeos,^[41] and zoos. Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in Animal testing or animal research is the use of non-human Animals in scientific experimentation. A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States A zoological garden, shortened to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity ^[42]

Philosopher Tom Regan argues that animals are entities which possess "inherent value"^[43] and therefore have "basic moral rights," and that the principal moral right they possess is "the right to respectful treatment. Tom Regan (born November 28, 1938 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is an American Philosopher who specializes in Animal rights theory "^[44] Regan additionally argues that animals have a "basic moral right not to be harmed," which can be overridden only when the individual's right to be harmed is "morally outweighed" by "other valid moral principles. "^[45][46] From this "rights view," Regan argues that "animal agriculture, as we know it, is unjust" even when animals are raised "humanely. "^[47][48] Regan argues against various justifications for eating meat including that "animal flesh is tasty," that it is "habit" for "individuals and as a culture", that it is "convenient," that "meat is nutritious," that there is an obligation the economic interests of farmers or to the economic interests of a country, or that "farm animals are legal property," and finds that all fail to treat animals with the respect due to them by their basic rights. ^[49] Regan therefore argues that "those who support current animal agriculture by purchasing meat have a moral obligation to stop doing so" and that "the individual has a duty to lead a vegetarian way of life. "^[50]

Legal theorist Gary L. Francione argues that animals are sentient, and that this is sufficient to grant them moral consideration. Gary Lawrence Francione (born 1954 is an American legal scholar Sentience is the ability to feel or perceive subjectively. It is an important concept in the philosophy of Animal rights, in buddhist philosophy and in ^[51] Francione argues that "all sentient beings should have at least one right—the right not to be treated as property" and that there is "no moral justification for using nonhumans for our purposes. "^[51] Francione further argues that adopting veganism should be regarded as the "baseline" action taken by people concerned with animal rights. ^[51]

A cow restrained for slaughter. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family

Utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer argues that there is "no moral justification" for refusing to take sentient animal suffering into consideration in ethical decisions. Preference utilitarianism is quite probably the most popular form of Utilitarianism in contemporary philosophy Peter Albert David Singer (born July 6, 1946 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian philosopher. ^[52] Singer argues that an animal's interests warrant equal consideration with the interests of humans, and that not doing so is "speciesist. " Equal consideration of interests " is the name of a moral principle that states that one should both include all affected interests when calculating the rightness of an action Speciesism involves assigning different values or rights to beings on the basis of their Species membership "^[52] Based upon his evaluation of these interests, Singer argues that "our use of animals for food becomes questionable—especially when animal flesh is a luxury rather than a necessity. "^[53] Singer does not contend that killing animals is always wrong, but that from a practical standpoint it is "better to reject altogether the killing of animals for food, unless one must do so to survive. "^[54] Singer therefore advocates both veganism and improved conditions for farm animals as practical means to reduce animal suffering. ^[55][56][57]

Steven Davis, a professor of animal science at Oregon State University, argues that following Tom Regan's "least harm principle" may not necessarily require the adoption of a vegan diet. Animal science is described as "studying the Biology of Animals that are under the control of mankind" (http//www Oregon State University ( OSU) is a Coeducational public Research[[ university]] located in Corvallis, Oregon, United ^[58] Davis suggests that there are non-vegetarian diets which "may kill fewer animals" than are killed in the intensive crop production necessary to support vegetarian diets. In particular, Davis argues that adopting a diet based upon "forage-ruminant-based agriculture" in the United States would kill an estimated 380-450 million fewer animals annually than a vegan diet and therefore that "humans may be morally obligated to consume a diet from plant-based plus pasture-forage-ruminant sysems. Physiologically a ruminant is a Mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first stomach known "^[59]

Gaverick Matheny, a Ph. D. candidate in agricultural economics at the University of Maryland, counters that Davis' reasoning contains several major flaws, including miscalculating the number of animal deaths based on land area rather than per consumer, and incorrectly equating "the harm done to animals […] to the number of animals killed. " Matheny notes that Davis' proposal is "a world apart" from agriculture "prevalent in the United States" which would "greatly improve the lives of farmed animals," but argues that per-consumer, a vegan diet would kill fewer wild animals than a diet adhering to Davis' model, and that vegetarianism "involves better treatment of animals, and likely allows a greater number of animals with lives worth living to exist. "^[60]

William Jarvis, writing for The National Council Against Health Fraud, characterizes veganism as "a hygienic religion that meets deep emotional needs of its followers," who revel "in self-denial and wars against pleasure," and who "cannot be trusted to be objective, reliable sources of information on anything that bears upon its fundamental paradigm. The National Council Against Health Fraud is a 501(c(3 non-profit US-based organization registered in California that describes itself as a "private nonprofit voluntary "^[61] Jarvis attacks "ideologic vegetarians," whom he claims believe that "all life is sacred" and that "all forms of life have equal value," saying that these beliefs "can lead to absurdities such as allowing mosquitoes to spread malaria, or vipers to run loose on one's premises. "^[62]

Health

Main article: Vegan nutrition

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recommends what they call the "Four New Food Groups. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM is a Non-profit organization based in Washington D "^[63] They suggest that vegans and vegetarians eat at least three servings of vegetables a day, including dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, and dark yellow and orange such as carrots; five servings of whole grains (bread, rice, pasta); three of fruit; and two of legumes (beans, peas, lentils). ^[63]

Benefits

Vegan version of the nutritional food pyramid which normally includes meat and animal products. Click to enlarge.

Certain widespread diets (such as the standard American diet, which is high in animal-based foods and low in plant-based foods) are detrimental to health, and a vegan diet thus represents an improvement,^[64][65] in part because vegan diets are often high enough in fruit and vegetables to meet or exceed the recommended fruit and vegetable intakes.

Benefits of vegetarian diets might be valid also for strict vegan diets: according to the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada, diets that avoid meat tend to have lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and phytochemicals. Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an Essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species a small number of other Mammalian Tocopherol, a class of chemical compounds of which many have Vitamin E activity describes a series of Organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols ^[10] People who avoid meat are reported to have lower body mass index than those following the average Canadian diet; from this follows lower death rates from ischemic heart disease; lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. The body mass index ( BMI) or Quetelet index, is a statistical measurement which compares a person's weight and height Ischaemic or ischemic heart disease (IHD or myocardial ischaemia, is a Disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle ^[10]

A 1999 meta-study of five studies comparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian mortality rates in western countries found equivalent mortality rates for vegans and those who eat meat regularly. In Statistics, a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses Mortality rate is a measure of the number of Deaths (in general or due to a specific cause in some population scaled to the size of that population per unit time The study also found equivalent and lower mortality rates for vegetarians and those who eat meat infrequently. ^[66] A 2003 study of British vegetarians, including vegans, found similar mortality rates between vegetarians and other groups. ^[67]

A 2006 study found that in people with type 2 diabetes a low-fat vegan diet reduced weight, BMI, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol and did so to a greater extent than the diet prescribed by the American Diabetes Association. The body mass index ( BMI) or Quetelet index, is a statistical measurement which compares a person's weight and height Cholesterol is a Lipid found in the Cell membranes and transported in the Blood plasma of all Animals It is an essential component of mammalian Low-density lipoprotein ( LDL) is a type of Lipoprotein that transports Cholesterol and Triglycerides from the Liver to peripheral The American Diabetes Association, or the ADA is an American health organization providing Diabetes research information and advocacy ^[68]

Precautions

Specific nutrients

The American Dietetic Association has said that "appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. The American Dietetic Association ( ADA) is the United States ' largest organization of Food and Nutrition professionals with nearly 67000 members "^[10] However, poorly planned vegan diets can be deficient in nutrients such as vitamin B₁₂,^[69] vitamin D,^[70] calcium,^[71][70] iodine^[72] and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble Prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 (or Ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (or Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 Iodine (ˈaɪədaɪn ˈaɪədɪn or /ˈaɪədiːn/ from ιώδης iodes "violet" is a Chemical element that has the symbol I and Atomic n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that ^[73] These deficiencies have potentially serious consequences, including anemia,^[74] rickets^[75] and cretinism^[76] in children, and osteomalacia^[75] and hypothyroidism^[76] in adults. Anemia ( AmE) or anæmia/anaemia ( BrE) (from the Ancient Greek grc-Latn anaîmia, meaning “without blood” is defined as a qualitative Rickets is a softening of the bones in children potentially leading to fractures and deformity This article is about the medical term For the Marxist political concept see Parliamentary cretinism. Osteomalacia is the general term for the softening of the bones due to defective Bone mineralization. Hypothyroidism is the disease state in humans and animals caused by insufficient production of Thyroid hormone by the Thyroid gland.

Vitamin B₁₂

Deficiencies in Vitamin B₁₂, a bacterial product that cannot be reliably found in plant foods,^[77][78][74] can have serious health consequences, including anemia and neurodegenerative disease. Cyanocobalamin is an especially common Vitamer of the B-12 vitamin family. The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Neurodegenerative Disease ( Greek νέυρο- néuro-, "nerval" and Latin dēgenerāre, "to decline" or "to ^[79] Although clinical B₁₂ deficiency is rare in vegans,^[74] if a person has not eaten more than the daily needed amount of B₁₂ over a long period before becoming a vegan then they may not have built up any significant store of the vitamin. ^[80] In a 2002 laboratory study, more of the strict vegan participants' B₁₂ and iron levels were compromised than those of lacto- or lacto-ovo-vegetarian participants. ^[81]

The Vegan Society and Vegan Outreach, and others, recommend that vegans either consistently eat foods fortified with B₁₂ or take a B₁₂ supplement. The Vegan Society is a Registered charity in the United Kingdom, promoting Veganism. Vegan Outreach is an American animal advocacy group working to expose and end cruelty to animals through the widespread distribution of printed informational booklets ^[82][83][84] Tempeh, seaweed, spirulina, organic produce, soil on unwashed vegetables, and intestinal bacteria have not been shown to be reliable sources of B₁₂ for the dietary needs of vegans. Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds Soybeans into a cake form Seaweed is a loose colloquial term encompassing macroscopic Multicellular, benthic marine Algae. Spirulina is the common name for human and animal food supplements produced primarily from two species of Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae Arthrospira Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional Pesticides artificial Fertilizers In Anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the Stomach to the Anus and in humans and other mammals consists ^[85][86][74]

Calcium & Vitamin D

It is recommended that vegans eat three servings per day of a high calcium food, such as fortified soy milk, and take a calcium supplement as necessary. Soy milk (also called soya milk, soybean milk, or soy juice) and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from ^[70][10] The EPIC-Oxford study showed that vegans have an increased risk of bone fractures over both meat eaters and vegetarians, likely due to lower dietary calcium intake, but that vegans consuming more than the UK's estimated average requirements for calcium of 525 mg/day had risk of bone fractures similar to other groups. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC study is a Europe -wide prospective Cohort study of the relationships between diet The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the A bone fracture (sometimes abbreviated # or Fx or Fx) is a medical condition in which a Bone is cracked or broken Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. ^[71][87]

The authors of The China Study argue that osteoporosis is linked to the consumption of animal protein because animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acidity of blood and tissues which is then neutralized by calcium pulled from the bones. The China Study (ISBN 1-932100-38-5 is a 2005 book by T Colin Campbell of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, and one of the directors of the China Osteoporosis is a Disease of Bone that leads to an increased risk of fracture. ^[88] The authors add that "in our rural China Study, where the animal to plant ratio [for protein] was about 10%, the fracture rate is only one-fifth that of the U. S. "^[89]

For light skinned people, adequate amounts of vitamin D may also be obtained by spending 15 to 30 minutes in the sunlight every few days. Dark skinned people need significantly more sunlight to obtain the same amount of vitamin D, and sunlight exposure may be difficult for vegans in areas with low levels of sunlight during winter; in these cases supplementation is recommended. ^[75][90][77] Certain mushrooms and some Vitamin D2-fortified foods (where the Vitamin D2 is derived from yeast) are the only food sources of Vitamin D suitable for vegans. Ergocalciferol (Deltalin Eli Lilly and Company) is a form of Vitamin D, also called vitamin D2. Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic Microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with about 1500 Species currently described ^[91]

Iodine

Iodine supplementation may be necessary for vegans in countries where salt is not typically iodized, where it is iodized at low levels, or where, as in Britain or Ireland, animal products are used for iodine delivery. Iodine (ˈaɪədaɪn ˈaɪədɪn or /ˈaɪədiːn/ from ιώδης iodes "violet" is a Chemical element that has the symbol I and Atomic See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world ^[82][72] Iodine can be obtained from most vegan multivitamins or from regular consumption of kelp. Kelp are large Seaweeds ( Algae) belonging to the Brown algae and classified in the order Laminariales ^[82][72]

Pregnancies and children

According to the US National Institute of Health, "with appropriate food choices, vegan diets can be adequate for children at all ages. "NIH" redirects here For other meanings of NIH see NIH (disambiguation. "^[92] The American Dietetic Association also considers well-planned vegan diets "appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation,"^[10] but recommends that vegan mothers supplement for iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B₁₂. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Breastfeeding is the feeding of an Infant or young Child with Breast milk directly from human Breasts, not from a Baby bottle or other Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Cyanocobalamin is an especially common Vitamer of the B-12 vitamin family. ^[93][94] Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency in lactating vegetarian mothers has been linked to deficiencies and neurological disorders in their children. ^[95][96] Some research suggests that the essential omega-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid and its derivatives should also be supplemented in pregnant and lactating vegan mothers, since they are very low in most vegan diets, and the metabolically related docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential to the developing visual system. n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that α -Linolenic acid ( ALA) is an organic compound found in many common vegetable oils. Docosahexaenoic acid (commonly known as DHA; 226(ω-3 all-cis -docosa-4710131619-hexa- enoic acid Trivial name cervonic The visual system is the part of the Nervous system which allows organisms to see. ^[97] A maternal vegan diet has also been associated with low birth weight,^[98] and a five times lower likelihood of having twins than those who eat animal products. Twins are Offspring resulting from the same Pregnancy, either of the same or opposite Sex. ^[99]

Several cases of severe infant malnutrition and some fatalities have been associated with a poorly planned vegan diet,^{[100][101][102]} and provoked criticism of vegan diets for children. Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. ^[103][104] Parents involved in these cases were convicted on charges ranging from assault to felony murder. Assault is a Crime of Violence against another person. In some Jurisdictions including Australia and New Zealand, Addressing criticism of veganism, Dr. Amy Lanou, an expert witness for the prosecution in one of the cases, asserted that the child "was not killed by a vegan diet" but that "the real problem was that he was not given enough food of any sort. An expert witness is a Witness, who by virtue of Education, Training, Skill, or Experience, is believed to have Knowledge "^[105]

Eating disorders

The American Dietetic Association indicates that vegetarian diets may be more common among adolescents with eating disorders but that the evidence suggests that the adoption of a vegetarian diet does not lead to eating disorders, rather that "vegetarian diets may be selected to camouflage an existing eating disorder. "^[10] Other studies and statements by dietitians and counselors support this conclusion. ^{[106][107][108]}.

Resources and the environment

Cattle - especially when kept on enormous feedlots such as this one - have been shown as a contributing factor in the rise in greenhouse gas emissions. A feedlot or feedyard is a type of Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO (also known as " Factory farming " which is used for finishing livestock Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared

Main article: Environmental vegetarianism

People who adopt veganism for environmental reasons do so on the basis that veganism consumes far fewer resources and causes less environmental damage than an animal-based diet. Environmental vegetarianism is the practice of Vegetarianism or Veganism based on the fact that the animal production by intensive agriculture is environmentally ^{[109][110][111]} Animal agriculture is linked to climate change, water pollution, land degradation, and a decline in biodiversity. ^{[112][111][113]} Additionally, an animal-based diet uses more land,^[113][114] water,^[115] and energy than a vegan diet. ^{[113][116][117]}

The growing demand for meat in developing countries may be aggravating the greenhouse gas spiral. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties

The United Nations released a report in November 2006 linking animal agriculture to environmental damage. The report, Livestock's Long Shadow ^[118] concludes that the livestock sector (primarily cows, chickens, and pigs) emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to our most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. Livestock's Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options is a United Nations report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases - responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO₂ equivalents. In comparison, the proportion of total CO₂ emissions by passenger vehicles is 12% of the total CO₂. ^[119] It produces 65% of human-related nitrous oxide (which has 296 times the global warming potential of CO₂) and 37% of all human-induced methane (which is 23 times as warming as CO₂). Those numbers are confirmed in a 2007 article in the British medical journal The Lancet, which concludes that reducing consumption of animal products should be a top priority, especially in developed countries where such a measure would also entail substantial health benefits. This article is about the journal For other uses of the term "lancet" see Lancet (disambiguation. ^[120]

A 2006 study by Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin, assistant professors of geophysics at the University of Chicago, found that a person switching from the average American diet to a vegan diet would reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,485 kg per year. The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. ^[121]

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis argues that while most meat production in industrialized countries uses inefficient grain feeding methods through intensive farming, meat production is not invariably a poor use of land, especially in countries like China and Brazil. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA is an international non-governmental research organization located in Laxenburg, near Vienna, in Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an Agricultural production system characterized by the high Inputs of Capital, Fertilizers China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Since a proportion of all grain crops produced are not suitable for human consumption, they can be fed to animals to turn into meat, thus improving efficiency. ^[122][123] Nevertheless this does not apply to the majority of grain crops worldwide, but only to small parts of them in developing countries. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties Further, greenhouse gas emissions are not limited to animal husbandry; but also to several plant based sources such as rice cultivation. ^[124][125]

A 2007 study which simulated various diets' land use for the geography of New York State concluded that although vegetarian diets used the smallest amount of land per capita, a diet which included some meat and dairy—though significantly less than consumed by the average American—could support more people on the same available land, since animal food crops can be grown on lower quality land than crops for human consumption. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[126][127]

It has been noted that the production of some vegan food substitutes like soy, used to produce soymilk amongst other items, is partly to blame for the deforestation of rainforests. Soy milk (also called soya milk, soybean milk, or soy juice) and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from ^[128][129] However, massive amounts of soy are used as animal feed rather than for direct human consumption. And while it takes several pounds of soy to produce a single pound of meat, a single pound of soy can be used to produce several pounds of soy-based foods for humans.

Similar diets and lifestyles

Sample of vegan Buddhist cuisine from a Zen temple in Japan. Buddhist cuisine is a kind of East Asian Cuisine which is followed by some believers of Buddhism. Buddhist Temples monasteries, Stupas and Pagodas sorted by location

See also: Vegetarianism and religion

Diets such as raw veganism and fruitarianism are related to veganism, but have significant differences from standard veganism. Vegetarianism and religion are strongly linked in a number of religions that originated in ancient India ( Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism) Raw veganism is a diet which combines Veganism and Raw foodism. Fruitarianism is a form of Veganism that is limited to eating the ripe fruits of plants and trees There are also numerous religious groups that regularly or occasionally practice a similar diet, including adherents to some Buddhist traditions,^[130] Eastern Orthodox Christians,^[131] Jains,^[132] Hindus,^[133] Sikhism, Rastafarians,^[134] and Seventh-day Adventists. In Buddhism, the views on Vegetarianism vary from school to school The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance ^[135]

Cuisine

A vegan raspberry pear tart. A tart is a Pastry dish usually sweet that is a type of Pie with an open top not covered with pastry

See also: Vegetarian cuisine

Also see the Wikibooks Cookbook articles on vegan cuisine and vegan substitutions and its listing of vegan recipes. Vegetarian cuisine refers to Food that meets vegetarian standards by excluding Meat and animal tissue products

The cuisines of most nations contain dishes suitable for a vegan diet, including ingredients such as tofu, tempeh and the wheat product seitan in Asian diets. Tofu, also (the Japanese Romaji spelling doufu (the Chinese Pinyin spelling often used in Chinese recipes or bean curd (the literal Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds Soybeans into a cake form Wheat gluten, also called seitan ( wheat meat, gluten meat, or simply gluten, is a Food made from the Gluten of ^{[136][137][138][139]} Many recipes that traditionally contain animal products can be adapted by substituting plant-based ingredients. For example, nut, grain or soy milks can be used to replace cow's milk^[139][140] and eggs can be replaced by applesauce or commercial starch-based substitute products, depending upon the recipe. Soy milk (also called soya milk, soybean milk, or soy juice) and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from ^{[139][140][141]} Additionally, artificial "meat" products ("analogs" or "mock meats") made from non-animal derived ingredients such as soy, gluten, or mycoprotein, including imitation sausages, ground beef, burgers, and chicken nuggets are widely available. A meat analogue, also called a meat substitute, mock meat, faux meat, imitation meat, or soymeat, approximates the aesthetic qualities Gluten is a composite of the proteins Gliadin and Glutenin. These exist conjoined with Starch, in the Endosperms of some Mycoprotein is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the Albuminoid which is the principal constituent of the Protoplasm of the A vegetarian hot dog (sometimes referred to as a "veggie dog" is a Hot dog produced completely from non-meat products Ground beef, beef mince or hamburger meat (in North America) or mince or mince(d meat (in the rest of the English speaking A veggie burger is a Vegetarian Hamburger. The patty of a veggie burger can be made from Vegetables Legumes nuts, Dairy A Chicken nugget is either whole or composed from a paste of finely minced chicken and sometimes purposefully added chicken skin which is then coated in batter or ^[139][142]

See also

• Farm Sanctuary
• List of vegans
• Raw veganism
• Vegan Prisoners Support Group (VPSG)

References

External links

Vegan Societies

• The Vegan Society (UK)
• American Vegan Society
• Vegan Society of Australia
• Vegans in South Africa (V. I. S. A. )

General

• Vegan Outreach, creators of the popular "Why Vegan?" pamphlet
• Vegan Action, administrators of vegan product certification in the US and Canada
• I Can't Believe It's Vegan!, a list of vegan commercial food products

Health/Nutrition

• American Dietetic Association position on vegetarian diet
• American Dietetic Association: A new food guide for North American vegetarians
• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
• Vegan Health, a project of Vegan Outreach
• Vegan nutrition, from the Vegan Society
• The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation

Ethical

• Movement for Compassionate Living
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)