Veganism for the New Year

Veganuary encourages people to participate in a vegan lifestyle for the duration of January, and provides education about the benefits of veganism. Having started in 2014, this annual challenge has grown hugely year on year. An illustration of its surge in popularity can be seen in that 400,000 people participated in the campaign in 2020 – this number increased to over 700,000 in 2023. Millions of people from almost every country in the world have been inspired to try vegan in January and beyond.

We always take an evidence-based approach and aim to provide you with actionable knowledge and tips to help you on your journey to optimal health.

In this article we’ll look at the motivations for choosing vegan, and some of the benefits and challenges of plant-based eating, and reducing your dairy and meat intake.

Motivations for choosing vegan include opting for a more compassionate lifestyle, stemming from concerns about animal welfare in food production and the impact of farming on the planet, as well as the belief that plant-based eating is better for your health.

In line with the increasing popularity of Veganuary, more people are choosing to adopt permanent meat-free eating plans and lifestyles, becoming vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan. It is estimated that in 2024, there are 2.5 million vegans in the UK – 4.7% of the adult population. This number is thought to have increased by 1.1 million between 2023 and 2024.

Research suggests that veganism can bring health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as reducing the risk of certain chronic health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

There is a misconception that vegan food will lack essential nutrients, but well-planned vegan eating can contain all the nutrients that your body needs for optimal health.

Let’s take a look at some of these vital nutrients in more detail and how you can ensure you are getting enough if you choose veganism.

If you eat a greater proportion of a range of plant foods, you will benefit from an increased intake of a wider variety of plant-based nutrients, including protective antioxidants. Many plant foods also contain large amounts of fibre which are beneficial for your gut bacteria, playing a major role in combating inflammation, which is known to contribute to the development of many chronic health conditions.

One review of studies noted the majority of research examining plant-based eating discovered switching to vegan can improve blood lipids, reduce inflammation and assist blood sugar control. Eating vegan also led to greater weight loss in the case of obese subjects when compared to people who consumed a similar quantity of calories but ate both plant foods and animal products.

Researchers from the Oxford Medical School have predicted if the entire world switched to plant-based eating, global mortality could be decreased by 6-10% and greenhouse gas emissions reduced by up to 70% in the 30 years to 2050.

Casein is a protein found in milk which many people find hard to digest. Whilst casein is a beneficial complete protein (containing all nine essential amino acids), and so can be a useful source of a slow and steady protein supply, on the other hand the slowness of its digestion affects as many as one fifth of adults in the UK and can lead to bloating and digestive issues. Allergies to dairy in babies are also common.

Research has linked dairy consumption to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Dairy is also linked with hormone-dependent cancers, because it contains traces of hormones such as oestrogen which can interfere with your own hormone balance.

Dairy, unless it’s organic, can also contain traces of antibiotics as well as testosterone and growth hormone – given to cattle to improve productivity – which can affect and interfere with your hormone balance.

The health effects of eating meat are well documented, and largely concentrate on its high saturated fat and cholesterol levels. Eating unprocessed meat exerts different effects on your health than eating processed meat products.

One large study of almost 500,000 people in ten countries reported an increased risk of mortality, the more processed meat was eaten. This held true even after other potential contributory factors such as body weight and smoking were separated out. The researchers concluded 3.3% of all deaths, particularly from cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer, could be prevented by limiting processed meat consumption to under 20 g/day – less than a third of a sausage or just under one rasher of bacon.

According to Cancer Research UK, processed meat has been classified as Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This means a definite link has been demonstrated between processed meat consumption and cancer.

Processed meat is connected with an increased susceptibility of developing bowel cancer because it contains substances which can irritate the intestinal lining. These are either found naturally in the meat, such as haem (an iron-containing compound), added during processing to keep the meat fresher (such as nitrates and nitrites), or produced when the meat is charred (such as heterocyclic amines or HCAs).

Meat that hasn’t been reared organically is likely to contain hormones and traces of antibiotics, as we have noted with dairy products.

The growth of the popularity of veganism has unfortunately also resulted in a great deal of packaged, processed vegan foods appearing on the shelves of our supermarkets.

Whilst a product may purport to bring health benefits because it is labelled vegan, as it is processed food it may still contain large amounts of sugar, salt, processed fats and other additives to increase shelf life and enhance flavour. Vegan status is not an indication that a packaged food is healthy.

Many processed vegan foods are based on soya protein. Processed soy has been dehulled and defatted, meaning it lacks the nutritional content of whole soy. It is typically one of the most genetically modified foods and is a primary ingredient in many processed foods.

Whilst it might appear to be an easy swap from meat as a protein source, it’s important to note that processed soya is very different to the fermented soya found in foods such as tempeh and miso, which are minimally processed and have been eaten traditionally in Asian cultures for their health benefits for centuries. The fermentation process helps with the digestibility of soy as well as improving the way the plant chemicals in soy (isolavones) act in the body.

We are all unique, and food choices are never a one-size fits all approach, due to our individual genetics and health status. Reducing meat and dairy intake can be a positive step towards reaching your health goals.

If you would like to find out more about optimising your health, then our Amchara retreats are designed to help you detoxify both physically and mentally, and our Personalised Health practitioners will support you and empower you to ‘Change for Good’.

On an Amchara health retreat you will be immersed in a supportive and nurturing environment that enables you to switch off, relax and kickstart your health journey, with tailored advice from our Personalised Health practitioners, taking into account your individual health circumstances and goals, and including physical activities and empowering, educational talks.

A consultation with an Amchara Personalised Health practitioner can help you explore if vegan eating is for you, as well as recommending positive lifestyle choices tailored to your circumstances.