by Paul Wallis

Created on: March 08, 2009

Vegan living is actually a designer lifestyle. Vegans are the best informed dietary consumers on Earth. They also have arguably the widest nutritional range of any form of diet as their palette. Vegans can literally design their diets to suit their needs.

The history of Vegan diets is probably the best explanation of how Veganism has become so universally accepted by medical and dietary science. When Vegan diets first became popular, there was a lot of criticism.

Vegan diets don't contain any animal products, whatsoever. This was seen as a serious problem, 50 years ago. Vegan principles were considered to be "militant vegetarianism", which describes the very low level of information available to the public at the time. Dieticians questioned the perceived lack of protein content in the Vegan concepts, and were very skeptical.

It's a testimony to the basic strength of the Vegan principles that within a few years, the dieticians were siding with the Vegans. The "lack of protein" myth was exploded almost immediately. Plants do contain protein. Soy, legumes, nuts, and the many types of edible seeds, (like rice and wheat) all contain protein.

Dieticians soon began identifying the metabolic benefits the all-vegetable diet. The role of trace elements in diets and in essential body functions became much better understood. It was found that plants were excellent sources of these elements. Things like copper, for example, are used in respiration. All plants contain a very wide range of elements, particularly electrolytes, which are essential to health.

The study of plant chemistry started to produce big surprises. The humble dandelion, which makes delicious coffee, is also a source of dietary copper, B group vitamins, and edible green foliage. The Brazil nut contains more selenium (an important immune system element) in one nut than a steak. Vegan ideas were getting a lot of vindication in pure biochemistry.

Medical research also soon found some extremely important information about the effects of diet on many chronic medical conditions. The Australian singer Judith Durham, considered by leading musicians to be one of the greatest singers of all time, began her career with a chronic lung condition! She became a Vegan, and the condition simply ceased to be a problem.

Other medical conditions, across a wide spectrum, were also treated with a range of dietary changes based on the discoveries of the research into all- vegetable diets. Lactose intolerance, for example, could be easily cured by switching to soy milk. The list of uses of diet in health care is endless.

From this history came contemporary Vegan living. The depth of studies did much to enhance and develop Vegan culture and ideas. It also attracted a lot of interest in Vegan concepts. Vegan diets have continued to evolve, and are the epitome of proven modern dietary practices.

The quality of information available to Vegans about their diet is unparalleled. Vegans have full control over their diet, and their health. Vegan living is so popular because people love it.

Learn more about this author, Paul Wallis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.