7 reasons why people are going vegan

The number of young people turning vegan is on the upwards. According to a 2016 survey, the number of vegans in Britain has increased by more than 360% over the by decade, and information technology'southward a movement being led by the under 35s. The Nutrient Programme has been investigating the "vegangelical" cause. Why are more of u.s.a. swerving meat and dairy and happily going herbivore?

Vegans abstain from eating any fauna products, similar meat, fish, eggs, dairy and honey.

i. Animal cruelty or the ethical statement

For many people, non having a manus in the exploitation of animals remains the key gene in their decision to get vegan. For some, it's a belief that all sentient creatures have a right to life, and that killing to swallow is incorrect. And for others, it is affection for animals that makes the idea of harming one to put food on their own plate difficult. For some, it's tricky to make the jump from taking a dear canis familiaris for a walk, to feasting on a bacon butty. Many abstain from animal products because they find manufactory farming savage and inhumane. Too every bit the slaughtering of animals for meat, many vegans are concerned that egg-laying chickens and dairy cows tin can lead unnecessarily miserable and short lives. For them, the simply style to really forestall cruelty is to abstain from all animal produce.

two. Going green

Many switch to veganism to reduce their touch on on the surround. Vast swathes of state are required to support and feed livestock, making it a significant contributor to deforestation. And the water used by animal agriculture, mostly as irrigation for feed crops, accounts for around eight% of global man water employ. Enormous crops of corn or grain also require pesticides and fertilisers, leading to pollution of our waterways. Some vegans debate that if nosotros grew plants simply for human being consumption, rather than for supporting livestock, many of these problems would be solved.

On top of this, the farmed animals themselves generate waste and pollution (with cows belching out enormous amounts of methane every 24-hour interval) and fauna agriculture is responsible for effectually 14 to 18% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. That'due south higher than transportation!

three. Health

Many vegans choose the diet for its health benefits. Although veganism requires supplements and careful planning, they'd fence that it's a flake of a myth that nosotros tin can't become all our necessary nutrients eating exterior of creature produce. Whole grains, vegetables and fruits are naturally low in fat and cholesterol and rich in fibre, magnesium, potassium and many vitamins.

Advocates of plant-based eating say vegans typically have lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, a lower body mass alphabetize, and reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer.

The things you shouldn't argue near with a vegan

Grace Dent talks with Jay Brave, poet, spoken word artist and creator of Stormzy parody 'Vegan Shut Upwards', about how veganism is nearly asserting personal autonomy.

4. Personal autonomy and challenging the status quo

Jay Brave – spoken word artist, entertainer and vegan administrator – says that for many, choosing plant-based cuisine "comes from a identify of personal autonomy." Young people are asking how they can "take dorsum control of their ain diet", in a organisation where they're not in control of many of the things that they purchase.

He believes that it's a way for young people to be autonomous from the go become, before they even start worrying about their careers: "They can actually look at how they tin build from the inside out: starting with their own bodies, and so their ain families, then their own communities and then we look at the land every bit a whole."

five. Social media and the vegan revolution

Grace Dent believes that, "social media has fix light to the vegan movement" and that before the internet, "to be vegan was largely to exist alone." Those days are well and truly over. Being able to connect with other vegans online makes communicating issues surrounding nutrition – and promoting upcoming vegan nutrient fairs, events and protests – much easier. Young vegans rave nigh aspirational YouTubers, such equally Bonny Rebecca and Freelee the Banana Girl, who share their vegan lifestyle tips with millions of viewers.

Sean Callaghan, or Fat Gay Vegan, has a huge online following. Grace states: "I hold Sean and his weblog and his Instagram responsible for how veganism's grown in my life. If a vegan product has been added to a supermarket, Fat Gay Vegan covers it. If a high street chain is experimenting with a vegan dish, Sean will be on the case."

And Social media has crucially made sharing recipes much easier. Ian Theasby and Henry Firth from "Bosh!" create simple and imaginative vegan recipes which are filmed and broadcast to over 1.4m Facebook users. Their videos are brusk, intoxicating, with no agenda or fuss – only showcasing succulent, comforting nutrient that happens to be meat free. On their website, Ian and Henry say they take "a burning desire to show the world just how easy it can be to swallow plants."

6. Celebrity endorsements

High contour and celebrity vegans are showing young people that information technology'south possible to exist successful, and look and experience amazing without consuming meat and dairy. Amongst those making eating soya look sexy are Ellie Golding, Natalie Portman, Ellen De Generes, Joaquin Phoenix, Russell Brand and Miley Cyrus.

Jay Brave too cites the Great britain grime scene equally existence hugely influential. In that location are artists from the old-school U.s. hip-hop scene –Russell Simmons from Death Jam and RZA from the Wu Tang Association – who take been advocates of vegan eating for years, and now young British grime artists are as well leading the charge – singing and rapping virtually veganism on our airwaves.

7. Greater opportunities to choose vegan

Vegan stalls, cafes and restaurants are popping upward all over the country. Fat Gay Vegan Prepare up the hugely popular Hackney Downs vegan market, now weekly, and also runs vegan beer festivals. Maria Rose has but opened Purity Petal vegan cafe in Barnstaple and hopes that it is slowly creating a more than aware scene in North Devon.

On height of specialist vendors, mainstream suppliers are now recognising the viability of vegan food. Top restaurants increasingly offering vegan dishes and in most supermarkets there's now a whole range of plant based milks to choose from: almond, soy, rice, oat and coconut to name a few! Eating vegan has never been so easy.