Vegan Diet: Past, Present and Future

Believe it or not, the vegan lifestyle has been around for centuries. The Bible, in the book of Genesis, reports that God told Adam, "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. (Gen. 1:29)"

The word "vegan" was adopted in 1944 by a group of outspoken "non-dairy vegetarians," in order to distinguish themselves from the rest of the vegetarian population, who generally consumed dairy and egg products.

The vegan diet is experiencing a resurgence these days, due in no small part to the current buzz over Skinny Bitch, the runaway best-selling diet book by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Freedman, a former modeling agent, and Barnouin, a former model, advocate a strictly vegan diet as part of their prescribed regimen for weight loss and maintenance.

While a generation of twenty- and thirtysomethings may be jumping on the vegan diet bandwagon in order to shed pounds, the over-forty group is looking to the vegan diet as a method of controlling cholesterol levels. The Center for Disease Control has reported that an estimated 101 million people living in the United States have cholesterol over 200 mg/dL. The vegan diet, free of animal products such as red meat, eggs and dairy products, is naturally cholesterol-free. Many patients who are trying to reduce their cholesterol levels have turned to a vegan diet or incorporated recipes developed for a vegan diet into their own diet.

A surprisingly high number of young adults have adopted a vegan diet and lifestyle as part of their own beliefs and activism. Animal rights groups, conservationists, environmentalists and members of certain religious groups have turned to the vegan diet as a way to protect animals, preserve natural resources, save the environment or lead a more spiritually humble life.

No matter what the reason for opting for a vegan diet, followers need access to information about the benefits and hazards associated with aligning one's diet to vegan principals. Current information about vegan nutrition is always needed - and evolving.

Take soy, for instance. The debate and research is still going strong on whether or not women should include more soy in their diets. On one side of the argument, some studies report that certain levels of soy in a vegan - or any other - diet can possibly reduce the risk of breast cancer. On the other side, recent studies have shown that the phytoestrogen contained in soy may actually increase the risk of breast and other types of cancer.

As our nation grows more health-conscious and environmentally aware, the trend toward the vegan diet will grow, as well. Nutrition and the vegan diet will be a relevant issue in 2009, and beyond - ask any Skinny Bitch!