Veganism beyond the clichés

[accordion] [item title="Table of Contents"]The green fashion Vegans in Spain The vegan diet: is it healthy? Will the future be vegan or will it not be? Infographic: Meat, a bad business for the environment Classes of vegetarians Beyond Veganism: The Raw Diet Calcium in the vegan diet Eating well and vegan is possible: restaurants Documentaries about veganism Books about veganism[/item] [/accordion] Dietdetox, intermittent fasting, green juices, superfood, alkaline diet, paleo, ketogenic… Madness has definitively settled into healthy eating. In our eagerness to discover the philosopher's stone of diets that frees us from all evil with hardly any effort, it seems that anything goes, and it is very difficult to separate the (green) wheat from the chaff. In this context of extreme confusion, we come across the vegan diet, an eating style as old as humanity that totally excludes animal products and that increasingly has more followers, but that is surrounded by all kinds of prejudices, unfounded myths, and doubts: the most important one, if it can be considered a healthy diet. We will see it right away, but I already tell you that it can.THE GREEN FASHIONThe dietplant-based(plant-based diet) has become fashionable and a simple walk through the center of Barcelona serves to confirm that its most radical expression, veganism, is becoming normalized and that we have stopped considering it an extravagance to turn it into another option. More and more restaurants proudly display the legendveggieon their doors and in some you even eat well or very well. According to a 2016 Lantern survey, in Spain the number of vegetarian and vegan establishments has doubled in the last five years and almost reaches 800; according to the guideVeggie Vegan Barcelonaof the Restaurant Guild in the city there are more than forty vegetarian restaurants, of which about fourteen are vegan, although most have vegan options. In addition, it is easy to find decent vegetarian or vegan options in many conventional restaurants.

Vegetarianism is a booming global business that will reach 5 billion euros in 2020, according to the consulting firm Lantern

Thus, veganism is a trend and followers of this diet no longer have to resign themselves to removing cold cuts from salads when they leave home or to accepting that, in a bar, a vegetable sandwich must always contain chicken or tuna (why?):vegan no longer rhymes with Martian. It seems that the much-maligned tofu has found a place in the Spanish diet and has become democratized, especially since it can be found without any difficulty in supermarkets like Mercadona. There's money here: vegetarianism is a flourishing global business that will reach 5 billion euros in 2020, according to the consultancy Lantern. But who in their right mind would want to give up the pleasures of meat to feed only on herbs? The reasons that lead people to veganism, also called strict vegetarianism, are varied. The data is somewhat elusive, but most surveys agree: the first reason by far (75-80% of respondents) is related to animal rights, according to data from a 1997 macro-survey conducted by the magazine Vegetarian Journaland the most recent from the vegan webVomad,of 2016, although after programs like the recentSalvadosfrom La Sexta about pig farms, it is quite probable that the number in our country has increased. Another important reason is health, closely followed by environmental reasons. According to these two publications,the typical vegan is usually a person under forty years old (80%) and with a high academic level, with a bachelor's, master's or doctorate (almost nine out of ten). VEGANS IN SPAIN In our country, how could it be otherwise, it is difficult to find reliable figures, but there are some, although it is about vegetarians in general and not just about vegans: according to data from the firstNational Dietary Intake Survey(ENIDE), published in 2011, approximately 1.5% of the Spanish population is vegetarian, about 700,000 people. More or less, the figures coincide with a survey from last year by Lantern, which offered a composite sketch of the Spanish vegetarian: 1.3% of Spaniards are vegetarian, of which only 0.2% are vegan; 51.2% reside in cities, two out of three vegetarians are women, and one out of ten women in Spain has decided to do without animals in their diet. The interesting thing is that almost 8% of respondents stated that they only ate products of animal origin occasionally, so the trend to reduce meat is on the rise. In countries like the United Kingdom, for example, between 2006 and 2016, the number of vegans multiplied by 3.5.

Diets that partially or totally exclude animal products can provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases

IS THE VEGAN DIET HEALTHY?Resoundingly yes, and it's not an opinion. Although it may surprise some, the science of nutrition has no doubt about it and there is no controversy: a few years ago, in 2009, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics of the United States and Dietitians of Canada published a famous position paper on vegetarian and vegan diets that should have settled the debate forever. In it, it was made very clear that a well-planned vegan diet was perfectly healthy and "appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, as well as for athletes." Pregnancy. Infancy. Athletes. Wow, our arguments are dismantled so quickly that our prejudices get disheveled. And not only that, but the document also says that diets that partially or totally exclude animal products can provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. So, in short, not only can one survive by eating plants, but one can also live as well or better than an omnivore. Despite this document and the overwhelming amount of studies and data on the benefits of this type of diet, many, including some misguided nutritionists, continue to affirm without any hint of embarrassment that a vegan diet does not provide the necessary amounts of protein, calcium, or iron, and if any mother or father happens to explain to the pediatrician that they have opted for a vegan diet for their children, in many cases they will have to stoically endure an unfounded reprimand about the importance of meat, dairy, or whatever the doctor considers does not fit with the textbooks they studied thirty years ago. However,certain precautions must be takenthe vegan diet, like all diets that restrict any food group, can be somewhat difficult to follow, and if one does not know well what they are doing, they can have some nutritional deficiencies. That said, the same can happen —and in fact does happen, and very often— with the omnivorous diet: all diets must be well planned, not just the vegan one. From time to time, isolated cases of "vegan" parents who are responsible for some nutritional atrocities appear in the media, as if the problem were the diet and not poor planning or misinformation. To put the debate in its proper context, it must be remembered that one of the worst health problems in history, obesity —which is related to all kinds of diseases, from diabetes to cardiovascular problems—, is the result of a poorly planned omnivorous diet, and no one seems to throw their hands up in horror, nor do they use it to write four-column headlines. Furthermore, a vegan, with their food choice, is contributing to improving the environment and avoiding animal cruelty, so let's be a little more serious about the issue. The only nutrient a vegan must take into account is vitamin B12, and all specialists without exception insist that it is essential to supplement regularly; otherwise, we can develop megaloblastic anemia or irreversible neurological problems, something that is solved by taking a simple pill. For the rest, both calcium and iron, as well as other nutrients, can be easily obtained in sufficient quantities from plant foods; yes, proteins too. In fact, a person weighing about 70 kg only needs 56 g of protein per day —to be more technical, 0.8 g of protein per kg of weight—, a very easy figure to reach: 100 g of tofu provides about 10 g of protein. WILL THE FUTURE BE VEGAN OR NOT BE?According to a 2016 Oxford University study, if most of the world adopted a plant-based diet (plant-based diet), by the year 2050, 8.1 million premature deaths would be avoided each year, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 70%, and 1 billion dollars in healthcare spending would be saved worldwide each year. Furthermore, the WHO recommends drastically reducing the consumption of red meat and especially processed meat, which can be carcinogenic, and most experts recommend not eating red meat more than two or three times a month. So perhaps it is not necessary for everyone to become vegan —although whoever is will be very welcome—, but it is imperative that we drastically reduce meat consumption to improve our health, but also that of the planet.MEAT, BAD BUSINESS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTIt is estimated that there are some 4.2 billion cattle worldwide, which are a serious sustainability problem since: - According to the FAO, more than 70% of cereals and grains grown in developed countries are used to fatten farm animals, when they could be for human consumption. Experts such as Jean Mayer, a nutritionist at Harvard University, believe that if meat production were reduced by 10%, there would be enough cereals to feed some sixty million people. - They occupy large areas of land that could be dedicated to crops, forests or jungles. - They use an enormous amount of water. The figures are brutal: to produce 100 g of beef, 7,000 liters of water are needed. Producing a 225 g steak consumes as much water as a person's showers for a whole year, counting a five-minute shower daily at a rate of 8 liters/minute. In Catalonia we consume 50 kg of meat per year on average: do the math. - To produce one kilo of meat, seven liters of crude oil are needed. TYPES OF VEGETARIANS

• Vegetarian: generic name we give to a person who has a diet based mainly on vegetable products.
• Ovo-lacto-vegetarian: vegetarian who eats eggs and/or dairy products.
• Vegan: pure vegetarian. Does not consume any type of animal product, not even honey.
• Absurd vegetarian: one who does not eat animal products, but stuffs themselves with ultra-processed foods and products that imitate bacon, chicken, etc.

BEYOND VEGANISM: THE RAW DIET The raw food diet, known asraw vegan dietin English, has also become fashionable. Based on vegetables, it proposes that all foods be eaten raw and that they not be processed or excessively altered from their natural state, although they admit cooking that never exceeds 42 or 45^oC to avoid heat degradation of vitamins, enzymes, and phytochemicals. It also allows for other types of "cooking," such as maceration in salt or in acidic substances like lemon juice or vinegar. It is not recommended by experts, although incorporating its recipes into a vegetarian diet is interesting.CALCIUM IN THE VEGAN DIETOne of the most established myths about the vegan diet is that only a diet that includes dairy products allows one to reach the adequate amount of calcium. While it is true that dairy products, especially cheeses, contain large amounts of bioavailable calcium, they are not the only source of this mineral: some plant foods can provide interesting amounts of calcium and, in addition, greater bioavailability than milk, especially vegetables such as collard greens, cabbage, thebok choyor kale (kale). Another interesting source of calcium for vegans is found in nuts, seeds, and legumes, with an absorption rate lower than that of milk, between 17 and 24%. Furthermore, many other factors are involved in calcium absorption, such as vitamin D levels, vitamin K levels, magnesium levels, or the level of salt intake.EATING VEGAN AND WELL IS POSSIBLEVegan cuisine has reached high levels of sophistication and the sad vegetable gastronomy of yesteryear has passed away. These are some of the best restaurants with vegan options in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia. Blueproject Coffee. Princesa Street, 57. One of the references for raw vegan food in the city, with spectacular dishes, such as the cosmic pizza. 100% organic and local food.Aguaribay. Taulat Street, 95. Vegetarian with vegan options in Poblenou, with simple quality dishes and excellent curries, vegetable creams, and desserts.Rasoterra. Calle del Palau, 5. Flagship of theslow foodin Barcelona, offers delicious vegan dishes with organic and local ingredients.Teresa CarlesJovellanos Street, 8. The restaurant that taught us that vegetarian could becool. Good vegan options.Flax & Kale.Calle dels Tallers, 74b. Also from the Teresa Carles group. Although it includes oily fish on its menu, it has surprising and delicious vegan dishes. It is advisable to book.In Girona. Restaurant B-12. Plaza del Vi, 11. Located in front of the town hall, it has a daily menu and works with vegan burgers with great grace.In Tarragona. El Vergel.Major Street, 13. Pure vegan, pioneer in the city, with affordable menus and attractive dishes.In Lleida. Casa Albets. Casa Albets, s/n. Ecological and vegan hotel and restaurant located in the small town of Lladurs (Solsonès), with careful and delicious cuisine.DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT VEGANISM Earthlings. Shaun Monson, 2005.Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, 2014.Forks over Knives. Lee Fulkerson, 2011.BOOKS Eating to not die. Michael Greger and Gene Stone, Paidós, 2016.More vegetables, less animals. Julio Basulto and Juanjo Cáceres, Punto de lectura, 2016.Eating Animals. Jonathan Safran Foer, Seix Barral, 2011.Vegetarians with Science. Lucía Martínez Argüelles, Books4pocket, 2017.Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. An Introduction to Carnism., Melanie Joy, Plaza y Valdés, 2013.

All dishes have been prepared at the Rasoterra restaurant in Barcelona