8 Questions You Had About Veganism But Didn't Know Who To Ask

Veganism is a trend that has swept the globe in the last decade or so, with millions of people having converted to this lifestyle. If you have more questions than answers about this practice, we can help clear up some of your doubts.

What exactly is veganism?

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Vegetarianism involves not eating meat, but veganism goes one step further and excludes dairy products as well. So fish, meat, eggs, milk, butter, yoghurt, ice cream and cheese are all prohibited in the vegan diet. Vegans restrict themselves to plant-based products like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Does veganism extend beyond food?

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Some people are dietary vegans, which means they only follow veganism when it comes to food. Others however choose to ban animal products from all aspects of their lives and avoid using silk, leather, pearls, fur and products and cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

Is veganism healthy?

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A new study conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic, USA found that the ¡°vegan diet has been shown to improve several parameters of health, including reversal of cardiovascular disease, decreased body mass index, decreased risk of diabetes, and decreased blood pressure.¡±

The study, titled ¡®Is Meat Killing Us?¡¯ was published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. It reviewed six large-scale studies involving over 1.5 million people whom the researchers tracked for anywhere between 5 to 28 years. The participants included vegans, vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

If they don¡¯t drink milk, how do vegans get their calcium?

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We tend to associate dairy products with calcium, but in reality, there are several non-dairy sources of calcium as well. Spinach, kale, broccoli, bok choy, black-eyed beans, almonds, oranges, figs, sesame seeds, soya, tofu and non-dairy milk (like almond milk and soy milk) are all great sources of this essential mineral. Vegans can also take calcium supplements if they need to boost their calcium intake.

Meeting nutritional needs takes a little bit more effort for vegans, but it¡¯s doable. Apart from calcium, protein and Vitamin D are areas of concern for vegans, however those too can be resolved with a little bit of planning. Vitamin D can be obtained naturally by spending 15 to 20 minutes in the sun every day, while protein can easily be obtained from food. Lentils, beans, tofu, quinoa, soya, soy milk, peas, oats, chia seeds, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, almonds, peanuts and sesame seeds are some of the best sources of plant protein.

Is it possible to be vegan in India?

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Countries like the US and UK now have prominent vegan populations, so they have started catering to this consumer segment by offering vegan options like vegan pizzas, vegan ice creams, vegan cheese and much more. Many restaurants serve vegan dishes and supermarkets have several vegan offerings.

In India, the concept of veganism is not as widely understood and so restaurant and supermarket options are limited, but it¡¯s not hard to manage at home. Paneer, dahi and ghee are a no-no, so all food must be cooked in oil and rotis should be brushed with oil instead of ghee. Apart from that, pretty much all daals and subzis can be vegan-friendly, as long as malai is not added to the food. Dahi kadi and other dishes and chutneys that have dahi are to be avoided. All in all, it¡¯s not that hard.

Does veganism have anything to do with Jainism?

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Some of the tenets of veganism do intersect with those of Jainism. Both groups don¡¯t eat meat and avoid animal products like silk, leather, pearls and fur. However, many Jains do drink milk and consume milk products. Nevertheless, there are certain sects of Indians that avoid dairy products altogether. These include some Jains and some rather surprising tribes. For instance, PETA reports that the Brokpa tribe of Ladakh has been vegan for over 5000 years, despite living in the cold and harsh terrain of the Himalayas.

Is veganism good for the environment? Don¡¯t we need non-vegetarians to eat all the extra animals?

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Yes, veganism is good for the environment, and no, we don¡¯t need non-vegetarians to eat animals. A recent study found that eating less meat and moving towards a plant-based diet would prevent millions of deaths by 2050, cut planet-warming emissions substantially and save billions of dollars annually in healthcare and climate damage costs.

As for meat consumption, many non-vegetarians claim ¨C and somebody has actually told me this ¨C that they are doing the world a favour by eating all the extra animals. This couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Animals that are bred for consumption are raised under painful and unnatural circumstances. They are overcrowded into filthy crates, fed alarming amounts of antibiotics and killed en masse through painful and inhumane means.

If milk and milk products don¡¯t involve killing cows, surely there¡¯s no cruelty involved?

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Oh, but there is! If you¡¯re picturing a verdant farm with a few grazing cows who give milk once a day, think again. Cows today are artificially impregnated time and again to ensure that they produce milk, sometimes within just 60 days of giving birth. Lactating cows are milked several times a day, often with milking machines that cause them severe pain. Their female calves are valuable because they too can produce milk, but the male calves are separated from their mothers and either starved to death or slaughtered for meat. According to PETA, cows are extremely intelligent animals that develop complex relationships, can perform difficult tasks and even mourn the deaths of their friends, so repeatedly separating calves from their mothers is perhaps one of the cruellest aspects of this industry. A report by Jain activist Dr. Nandita Shah on the mistreatment of cows says, ¡°I have a friend who eats meat at every meal, but avoids milk because she lives near a dairy and has witnessed the cows 'crying.'¡±