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The present essay aims to offer some reflections concerning the cultural and political aspects of veganism, on the basis of the available surveys and statistics, plus some more gathered by the authors—with the tools of different methodologies, including the semiotic one. After an introduction to veganism as phenomenon and movement, with general ref...
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Previous research has alluded to the predominance of atheism in participant pools of the Nonhuman Animal rights movement (Galvin and Herzog 1992; Guither 1998), as well as the correlation between atheism and support for anti-speciesism (Gabriel et al. 2012; The Humane League 2014), but no study to date has independently examined this demographic. T...
Citations
... Nowadays, an increasing number of individuals are adopting vegan diets, largely motivated by environmental consciousness and the perception that plant-based diets are a more sustainable choice. Additionally, health considerations are also significant drivers behind the adoption of veganism (4)(5)(6). ...
Consumption of plant-based diets, including vegan diets, necessitates attention to the quality of the diet for the prevention and early detection of nutritional deficiencies. Within the VEGANScreener project, a unique brief screening tool for the assessment and monitoring of diet quality among vegans in Europe was developed. To provide a standardized tool for public use, a clinical study will be conducted to evaluate the VEGANScreener against a reference dietary assessment method and nutritional biomarkers. An observational study is set to include 600 participants across five European sites – Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. In total, 400 self-reported vegans (≥2 years on a vegan diet), and 170 self-reported omnivore controls will be examined, aged between 18 and 65 years, with males and females being equally represented in a 1:1 ratio for two age groups (18–35 and 36–65 years). Participants with diseases affecting metabolism and intestinal integrity will be excluded. The clinical assessment will include a structured medical history, along with taking blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. Blood and urine will be sampled and analyzed for a set of dietary biomarkers. Metabolomic analyses will be conducted to explore potential novel biomarkers of vegan diet. Moreover, saliva samples will be collected to assess the metabolome and the microbiome. Participants will receive instructions to complete a nonconsecutive 4-day diet record, along with the VEGANScreener, a socio-demographic survey, a well-being survey, and a FFQ. To evaluate reproducibility, the VEGANScreener will be administered twice over a three-weeks period. Among vegans, the construct validity and criterion validity of the VEGANScreener will be analyzed through associations of the score with nutrient and food group intakes, diet quality scores assessed from the 4-day diet records, and associations with the dietary biomarkers. Secondary outcomes will include analysis of dietary data, metabolomics, and microbiomes in all participants. Major nutrient sources and variations will be assessed in the sample. Exploratory metabolomic analysis will be performed using multivariable statistics and regression analysis to identify novel biomarkers. Standard statistical models will be implemented for cross-sectional comparisons of geographical groups and vegans versus omnivores.
... Jallinoja et al. (2018) have analyzed the evolution of the images and practices of veganism and examined what kind of political consumerism and consumption veganism, vegetarianism, and other forms of plant-based eating more broadly constitute, and conceptualized vegan and plant-based eating as political consumerism. Martinelli and Berkmanienė (2018) argue that there is an inherent connection between ethical veganism and left-wing political thinking and that vegans are likely to see veganism as a political issue, and in general their interest in politics is pretty high. Accordingly, it can be said that veganism, an ideologically charged movement, leaning toward more progressive/rational/egalitarian layers of society and ecological/organic food represents a "leftist" phenomenon to those who opposed industrial, mass (and unhealthy) production. ...
Veganism is commonly described as the attempt to avoid, as far as possible, the exploitation and consumption of animals and animal products. It is acknowledged as a collective action aimed at political transformation, not an individual quest for a pure ethical diet. Many times, veganism is misinterpreted as a diet or style of eating. It's a movement against the needless suffering and exploitation of non-human animals. As a result, veganism rejects human consumption habits that harm animals, such as those found in our clothes, food, makeup, and entertainment (Cochrane and Cojocaru, 2023a, 2023b; Linton, 2022). Hence, this study aims to explore how veganism was framed on X (formerly Twitter) and associated with political activism. It claims that veganism is beyond a personal lifestyle, a form of activism providing insight into political change. This paper, which examined the posts of the Vegan Association of Turkey and also 4 news websites, Hurriyet, Haberturk, BirGün, and Bianet, has revealed that the Vegan Association of Turkey dealt with mostly vegan activism patterns but did not refer to the elements of political activism. It also displayed that although the left-wing and alternative news media covered the activist practices of veganism, the sampling news websites mostly framed veganism within nutrition and lifestyle patterns. In particular, the mainstream news media excluded the political and activist roles of veganism from vegan representations. In conclusion, under-representing political constituents of veganism on X means that the hegemonic consumerism culture is reproduced and new perspectives on consumerism, capitalism, gender, and the environment have not been sufficiently debated in the public sphere.
... Nowadays, an increasing number of people are adopting vegan diets, driven by environmental awareness due to the perception of plant-based diets as a more sustainable choice. Furthermore, health-related reasons are also signi cant drivers behind the adoption of veganism (4)(5)(6). ...
Background
Consumption of plant-based diets, including vegan diets, necessitates attention to the quality of the diet for the prevention and early detection of nutritional deficiencies. Within the VEGANScreener project, a unique brief screening tool for the assessment and monitoring of diet quality among vegans in Europe was developed. To provide a standardized tool for public use, a clinical study will be conducted to evaluate the VEGANScreener against a reference dietary assessment method and nutritional biomarkers.
Methods
An observational study is set to include 600 participants across five European sites – Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. In total, 400 self-reported vegans (≥ 2 years on a vegan diet), and 170 self-reported omnivore controls will be examined, aged between 18 and 65 years, with males and females being equally represented in a 1:1 ratio for two age groups (18–35 and 36–65 years). Participants with diseases affecting metabolism and intestinal integrity will be excluded. The clinical assessment will comprise a structured medical history, as well as blood pressure and anthropometric measures. Blood and urine will be sampled and analyzed for a set of dietary biomarkers, and metabolomic analyses will be conducted to explore potential novel biomarkers of vegans’ dietary intake. Moreover, saliva samples will be collected to assess the metabolome and the microbiome. Instructions for completing a nonconsecutive 4-day diet record will be provided, alongside the VEGANScreener, a socio-demographic survey, a well-being survey, and a FFQ. To evaluate reproducibility, the VEGANScreener will be administered twice within a three-weeks period.
Discussion
Among vegans, the construct validity and criterion validity of the VEGANScreener will be analyzed through associations of the score with nutrient and food group intakes, and diet quality scores assessed from the 4-day diet records, and associations with the dietary biomarkers. Secondary outcomes will include analysis of dietary data, metabolomics, and microbiomes in all participants. Major nutrient sources and variations will be assessed in the sample. Exploratory metabolomic analysis to identify novel biomarkers will be performed using multivariable statistics and regression analysis. Standard statistical models will be implemented for cross-sectional comparisons of geographical groups and vegans versus omnivores.
... Karnizmin türcü yaklaşımına karşıt sav ise hayvanların hislere sahip olduğunu, öznel bilinci olan canlılara karşı ahlaki olarak sorumluluklarımız olduğunu, türler arasında hiyerarşi kurulamayacağını ve hayvanların insanların hizmetindeki besin kaynakları olarak görülemeyeceğini vurgulamaktadır (Regan, 1983;Ryder, 1989;Singer, 1975Singer, /2018 (Regan, 1983;Ryder, 1989;Singer, 1975Singer, /2018 (Rosenfeld, 2020). Aynı nedenle Batı dünyasında veganlığın demografisine bakıldığında, vegan erkeklerin oranının düşük olduğu ve veganların ABD'de %74'ünün, Almanya'da %66'sının ve İngiltere'de %63'ünün kadın olduğu görülmektedir (Martinelli ve Berkmaniene, 2018). ...
Küresel iklim değişikliği ve hayvan hakları konusundaki hassasiyetlerin bir uzantısı olarak vegan ve bitki bazlı beslenmeye olan ilginin artmaya başladığı görülmektedir. Bu araştırma, Türkiye’de veganizm konusundaki tartışma alanının Twitter’da nasıl yapılandırıldığını; veganların ve hepçillerin anlatılarını hangi temel konular üzerinde inşa ettiğini belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmada 2022-2023 yılları arasında vegan, veganizm ve veganol anahtar kelimeleri ve hashtag’leriyle paylaşılan 62.742 tweet üzerinde MiniLM-L6 modeli ile öznitelik çıkarımı, UMAP ile boyut indirgeme ve HDBSCAN ile kümeleme işlemleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kelime ağırlıklandırma yöntemiyle kümelerde öne çıkan kelimeler ve rastgele yapılan manuel okumalarla elde edilen bilgiler kullanılarak, veganlar, hepçiller, kararsızlar ve vegan ürün reklamı yapan kullanıcılar olmak üzere dört farklı kesim tarafından 18 konunun tartışıldığı tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca #vegan hashtag ağı incelenerek, vegan beslenme eğilimindeki temel motivasyonların sırasıyla hayvan hakları konusundaki endişeler, sağlıklı beslenmeye/yaşama olan ilgi, kilo kontrolü ve son olarak ekolojik kaygılar olduğu belirlenmiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: vegan, veganizm, Twitter, kümeleme, konu modelleme.
... Environmentally sustainable diets, that are rich in plant foods, are advocated as a solution to feeding the growing human population and reducing the impact of our food systems on the planet (1) . Today, vegetarian and vegan diets are widely supported and adopted throughout the population, particularly among young people and women (2)(3)(4) . Vegans do not consume any animal products, whereas vegetarians exclude only meat and fish (5) . ...
Vegan and vegetarian diets are widely supported and adopted, but individuals following such diets remain at greater risk of iodine deficiency. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the iodine intake and status in adults following a vegan or vegetarian diet in the modern day. A systematic review and quality assessment were conducted from October 2020-December 2022 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidance. Studies were identified in Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Eleven articles were eligible for review containing 4,421 adults (aged ≥ 18 years). Vegan groups had the lowest median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) (12.2 L-1). None of the dietary groups had mUIC within the optimal range for iodine status (100-200 µg L-1) (World Health Organisation). Vegan diets had the poorest iodine intake (17.3 µg day-1) and were strongly associated with lower iodine intake (P = < 0.001) compared to omnivorous diets. Lower intake in vegan diets were influenced by gender (P = 0.007), the presence of voluntary or absence of Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) programmes (P = 0.01 & P = < 0.001), and living in a country with adequate iodine nutrition (P = < 0.001). Vegetarians and particularly vegans, living in countries with no current USI programme continue to have increased risk of low iodine status, iodine deficiency and inadequate iodine intake. Further research into the usefulness of mandatory fortification of vegan appropriate foods is required.
... At its core, veganism is the practice of avoiding "eating or otherwise using products made from or by animals" (McPherson, 2018, p. 209). Individuals may hold different reasons for opting for a vegan lifestyle (which includes, but is not restricted to, following a vegan diet), such as ethical considerations, dietary choices, personal health, taste, religious and political beliefs, or environmental concerns (Buttny & Kinefuchi, 2020;Janssen et al., 2016;Kortetmäki & Oksanen, 2020;Martinelli & Berkmanienė, 2018;McPherson, 2018). Collectively, the sets of beliefs for choosing a vegan lifestyle articulate a complex and diversified web of loosely defined vegan practices that simultaneously shape and are shaped by vegan practitioners. ...
Our research discusses how four main ethical challenges to veganism manifest in the context of Iceland. Veganism is becoming an increasingly popular lifestyle in many parts of the world, especially in OECD countries. Studies on the motivation for choosing a vegan lifestyle (which includes, but is not restricted to, following a vegan diet) include ethical considerations, dietary choices, personal health, taste, religious and political beliefs, or environmental concerns. Ethics plays a particularly important role, and as such, veganism has become a central object of interest in recent conversations on animal rights and welfare among ethicists. Our analysis reviews four ethical challenges (i.e., the challenge of universality, demandingness, causal impotence, and the least environmental harm principle) in the literature that problematize the norms and rationale underpinning veganism and vegan discourse and discusses how each applies within the context of Icelandic society and geography. We conjecture that the particular economic, demographic, and geographic characteristics of Iceland indicate that being vegan in Iceland does not free oneself of having global social and environmental impacts on account of chosen dietary options. All diets constitute global systems that account for dependencies and opportunities , vulnerabilities, and strengths, which may challenge the assumption that veganism is a more socially and environmentally sustainable dietary option within this particular regional context.
... Accurate statistical information about the proportion of vegans in the population is scarce; such data is not necessarily easy to collect, for various reasons (see Martinelli & Berkmaniene, 2018). In countries with the highest percentages of vegans in the population, such as Israel and the US, around 5% of people claim to be vegan (Martinelli & Berkmaniene, 2018, p. 507). ...
This chapter lays out the conceptual basis for the book, drawing on theoretical and empirical work primarily in critical animal studies, vegan studies, gender and feminist studies, including ecofeminism, and critical studies on men and masculinities. The chapter outlines the ethical, social, and ecological implications of consuming nonhuman animals and argues that intersectional veganism helps to move towards social and ecological justice. Connections between men, masculinities, and veganism are discussed. The chapter provides an overview of the empirical research that this book is based on and introduces the methodology of the study. Finally, the contents of the chapters are presented.
... (Martinelli 2019;Martinelli ir Berkmanienė 2018; Remeika 2013, 62; Šatūnienė 2009, 149;Bertuzzi 2017; Cherry 2006, 156 ir kt.), tai veganizmą galima laikyti pažiūrų ir įsitikinimų objektu, o tai reiškia, jog draudžiama diskriminuoti dėl veganiškų pažiūrų ir įsitikinimų. ...
... While trust in company websites and the news has decreased, social media have in fact become a major source of information for the younger generations, with influencers becoming their main refersise the online growth of the vegan movement. For a detailed discussion of the politics and demographics of veganism, see in particular Martinelli & Berkmanienė 2018. ence points. ...
The vegan population has risen significantly over the past decade, and is expected to continue increasing. Social media are believed to have played a major role in such a rise. According to a Google study (2018), veganism started to spread markedly in 2012, the same year that Instagram became popular, and has then grown in correlation with the expansion of the social network (with over 88 million #vegan posts out of a billion monthly active users and more than 500 million people using the platform daily today). Since 2016 conversations around veganism have increased also on Twitter, reaching nearly 20 million Tweets in 2018 and registering a further growth of 70% in 2019. Moreover, the number of Google searches for veganism has spiked from a popularity rating of just 17 out of 100 in 2008 to 88 in 2018. Functioning both as platforms for sharing and commenting on information and as effective channels for proselytizing, these and other social media have evidently extended the boundaries of the vegan movement, making it become one of the biggest contemporary food trends. This paper aims at identifying and describing the main cultural transformations and forms of life promoted by “veganism 2.0”, based on a semiotic approach particularly attentive to the analysis of the narrative level and the patemic dimension. To this purpose, the intersections between the so-called “gastromania” and other trends characterising contemporary foodspheres, such as “gastro-anomy” and the “ideology of nutritionism” are taken into account, paying particular attention to the gastronomic discourse in present-day digital mediascapes and the complex dynamics characterising them.
... The prospect of these diets acting as a barrier to adequate iodine nutrition could increase the risk of developing preventable health consequences associated with deficiency and furthering the worldwide public health issue of iodine [60]. Given that these diets are commonly followed by females of childbearing age (16-24 years), lowered dietary iodine intake in these groups could significantly impact future generations and reduce societal productivity [6,61,62]. ...
Vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming increasingly popular. Dietary restrictions may increase the risk of iodine deficiency. This systematic review aims to assess iodine intake and status in adults following a vegan or vegetarian diet in industrialised countries. A systematic review and quality assessment were conducted in the period May 2019–April 2020 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were identified in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and secondary sources. Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria. Participants included 127,094 adults (aged ≥ 18 years). Vegan groups presented the lowest median urinary iodine concentrations, followed by vegetarians, and did not achieve optimal status. The highest iodine intakes were recorded in female vegans (1448.0 ± 3879.0 µg day−1) and the lowest in vegetarians (15.6 ± 21.0 µg day−1). Omnivores recorded the greatest intake in 83% of studies. Seaweed contributed largely to diets of vegans with excessive iodine intake. Vegans appear to have increased risk of low iodine status, deficiency and inadequate intake compared with adults following less restrictive diets. Adults following vegan and vegetarian diets living in countries with a high prevalence of deficiency may be more vulnerable. Therefore, further monitoring of iodine status in industrialised countries and research into improving the iodine intake and status of adults following vegan and vegetarian diets is required.
