As in other areas of life, there is happening a sea change in the field of food and nutrition. The pandemic year just gone by has justified beyond any shadow of doubt the relevance of both minimalism and veganism. The compulsion for the lifestyle change has won many more votaries for these beliefs even though till recently these were called mere fads. People no longer find veganism complicated. In fact, they feel that it is their own homemade food that saves them from the harmful effects of the fast food responsible for depleting immunity levels.
Veganism, obviously, has come to stay. After all, it rests on the passionate belief that human beings are innately compassionate and with the evolution of the society, they break themselves free of the shackles of religion, bigotry, violence, cruelty, guilt and lies and all other negativities. Well, does that validate the lofty ideals of sanatan dharma postulated in the days of yore, when Westerners were still hunting for food!
While the idea may appear strange and unusual to the westerners, Indians have long been used to vegetarianism. In fact, in ancient India, even Veganism was carried to extreme when our Rishis engaged in meditation and contemplation deep inside the forests would survive just on some herbs and leaves and that too when these had lost life. A classic example is one of a leaf called “Vopal Haakh” in Kashmiri, which is reportedly rich in iron and minerals long after even having fallen apart from the plant and dried.
The popular trend of the Western world of becoming increasingly vegetarian has just not stopped at that; it has gone further on to Veganism, which apart from excluding various kinds of meat also brings within the fold of the prohibitory foods, eggs, milk and all its derivates as also all other animal-derived products such as woolens and even leather products including footwear. Even crystalline white sugar is a no no because the refining process involves the use of charred bones of animals. The term Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating and lifestyle or to the diet and other products in the prohibitory list itself. That is, the word vegan can be an adjective used to describe a food item, as in, “This curry is vegan“, or, it can be used as a noun, as in, “Vegans like cookies, too.” There is also a raging debate as to whether second-hand animal products, such as a leather jacket and woolen socks obtained from animals that were not slaughtered but died naturally, can be included in a vegan lifestyle or not.
Meat industry bosses are naturally not happy with the trend that is leading to diminishing their returns, and they mock veganism as just an Instagram fad. They have become hostile and turned anti-vegan. In the United States they have roped in the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board to say, “By claiming their credentials as a vegan, young people believe this shows the world they are ethical, healthy and environmentally aware.” The Board has urged the industry to look at new and innovative ways to market meat and dairy products and work together throughout the supply chain to stay in favour with consumers.
The vegans, however, have a long list of reasons that they cite in their favour. Quoting the examples of Miley Cyrus, ultra-marathoner Scott Jurek and Stevie Wonder and Alicia Silverstone, they say that all kinds of professions and at all ages people have been going vegan over the last couple of years. It seems like the world is waking up to the possibility of trading chronic diseases for compassion and longevity. They also cite the USA Today report published a couple of years ago, that nearly 50 percent of Americans are trying to cut down on meat, while approximately one-fifth of students are vegetarian, vegan, or trying to eat less meat. They calculate that each day a person goes vegan, it saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life.
Whether one is already on one’s way towards a plant-based vegan diet or just playing with the idea, there are several scientific reasons to think about, if not for anything else, at least for the health part of the human race. Vegan diet reportedly lowers the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and leads to the reversal of other current health conditions. No doubt, one gets to stay slim rather effortlessly and improves one’s fitness with better skin and digestion.
An extremely high percentage of all the flesh butchered every year in the U.S. is reportedly contaminated with E. coli, campylobacter, or other dangerous bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts, flesh, and feces of animals. Practically, every non-vegetarian meal of meat, eggs or for that matter, even of dairy products, contains bacteria, hormones, antibiotics, and other toxins that lead to health problems. In fact, the danger associated with dosing animals raised for their flesh with the help of antibiotics is potent. For example, Roxarsone, an antibiotic reportedly commonly used on factory farms, contains significant amounts of the most carcinogenic form of arsenic that leads to development of several types of cancer.
Health benefits apart, with the advancement in the civilization levels; man wants to show compassion and kindness not only to his fellow human beings, but also to animals. Preventing cruelty to animals is no longer confined to the demands of causing less pain while slaughtering. Why pain at all? This is being asked with the voices growing shriller and louder by the day. The ethical argument that it can never hurt to be kind and sparing someone’s life is always the right thing to do, especially if that someone is completely innocent, is gaining more ground.
Vegans have a winning case when they say that their belief and action will save the environment and at the very least retard the climate change, which is gradually leading the world to the brink. The main reason for Environmental Crisis is that Man has taken more from nature than he has given it. Costs in terms of water use and pollution, land use and deforestation have led the realization of the existence of climate emergency which can no longer be brushed under the carpet. As concerns over the huge impact on the environment, human health and animal welfare grow; the future of meat industry appears to be rather bleak.
For all the positive aspects of Veganism, there is, however, a fillip side too. It is reported that the Vegans suffer from the deficiency of Vitamin B3 and zinc that are found in meat, poultry, fish, legumes and dairy and that according to a study people who eat a diet lacking in vitamin B3 and zinc suffer more severe hangovers. Researchers are busy finding alternatives for the Vegans, which people have started believing will deliver the world of most of its evils.
Another negative side of the Veganism is unemployment. Food and farming being the biggest economic sectors employ large sections of the populations in the world today as agricultural sector did in 14th century where as much as 76% of the workforce was employed as compared to 26% of today. This argument is, however, countered by an answer which has yet to be negatived. And that is “better control the population and feed the unemployed free rather than damage the environment so irreparably and irretrievably that it will endanger the very existence of humans, animals and plants as a whole on the planet Earth”.
Bhushan Lal Razdan, formerly of the Indian Revenue Service, retired as Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Chandigarh.