Veganism has been a long-growing trend that has been spreading all over the world. From an era where vegetarians were teased for their choices to a time when the vegan lifestyle is adored, we have clearly come a long way. Vegans, in simple words, are people who took vegetarianism to the next level. They completely abstain from using animal products, including milk and its by-products (Read cheese). The number of vegans in the world are rising consistently as more and more people choose this lifestyle for various reasons.

As we witness this growing trend, we often wonder, where did veganism actually evolve from and what are the reasons behind this choice and most important of them all, is it feasible to turn to veganism? This article aims to begin the journey of veganism by brushing upon its origin and understanding the vegan trend. As for the question of whether it is a feasible choice, we will discuss this topic in detail in the next article. So let’s dive into the world of vegans and understand this viral trend.

vegan-buddha-bowl

Source: The Independent UK

The Origin

Veganism has its origins in vegetarianism, which can be traced back to the  Indus Valley Civilization in 3300–1300 BCE in the Indian subcontinent. Even though vegetarianism has been existing for more than 8000 years, the term vegan or veganism was only coined in 1944. Groups of people who were devoted to non-dairy vegetarianism, when Donald Watson set up a quarterly newsletter for the non-dairy vegetarians called The Vegan News. This newsletter motivated many people to give up eggs and milk and turn towards the vegan life.

Vegan by choice

This is the pressing question that most people have related to veganism and even vegetarianism. Why would someone give up meat, eggs and even dairy (Cheese you guys!). There are varied reasons behind this choice of having a veganism lifestyle. While people were vegetarian based on religion (Jains, Brahmins, etc), becoming vegan has always been a choice. The most common reason behind turning vegan has to be a deep-rooted love for animals and the environment. Diary has been a by-product of animals, but the process of milk production has been turning gruesome. Farm animals are being pumped up with steroids to increase the production.

Vegan by health

However, not everyone chooses to be vegan. The increasing cases of lactose sensitivity and lactose intolerance is also forcing people to turn vegan at a young age. Lactose is a key component in all dairy products. This is the reason that people all over the world are choosing dairy free milk and milk products. But is there a sudden rise in the case of lactose intolerance/sensitivity? The answer is no. lactose intolerance develops in individuals over time, growing more severe with repeated exposure to lactate. In addition to this, awareness about lactose intolerance is now widespread. These reasons contribute to people turning vegan because of their health issues.

We hope that this gives you a proper insight into what veganism is all about and why people choose this path. In our next series, we will discuss the troubles of a vegans lifestyle with a complete guide on how to turn vegan.

 

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By: Naina