Veganism and Raw Veganism as a Lifestyle
Although the term veganism and its derivatives began to be used only in the 1940s, archaeologists have demonstrated the existence of these concepts more than 2,000 years ago. In 500 BC, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras and his disciples practiced veganism mainly for ethical and religious reasons. Similar dietary and lifestyle concepts were also found among Buddhists, Hindus, and followers of Jainism (a reform movement within Hinduism based on the teachings of its founder, Mahavira).
Veganism and Raw Veganism as a Lifestyle
The contemporary Vegan Society has revised and expanded the definition of veganism, stating that this lifestyle involves excluding foods of animal origin and, additionally, promotes the development and use of alternatives that are kinder to animals and the environment. In the current context of rising pollution and global warming, driven by the use of non-renewable fossil fuels and the exploitation of forests and animals, veganism has once again gained momentum in everyday life.
Veganism as a lifestyle is currently adopted by many public figures and actors who seek to draw attention to the negative effects that climate change, generated by the indiscriminate use of finite resources, has on the planet and humanity.
Contents
What Is Veganism?
Types of Vegetarians
The Vegan Diet
Vegan Nutrition: Between Risks and Benefits
What Does Raw Vegan Mean?
Risks and Benefits of the Raw Vegan Diet
Flexitarianism
Plant-Based Diets
The Importance of Nutrition for Our Health
What Is Veganism?
Veganism is a lifestyle whose core principle is living in harmony with nature, excluding the exploitation of the planet’s resources in all its forms, whether it involves cruelty toward animals, the creation of textile and plastic waste, or large-scale deforestation with the destruction of entire ecosystems.
Types of Vegetarians
From a dietary perspective, vegetarianism can be classified into several categories, depending on the degree of restriction regarding the consumption of meat and other animal-derived products:
Lacto-ovo vegetarianism, which allows the consumption of dairy products and eggs while excluding meat
Lacto vegetarianism, which excludes eggs but allows dairy products
Ovo vegetarianism, which excludes milk and meat but allows eggs
Flexitarianism or the semi-vegetarian diet, which allows eggs, dairy products, and occasional consumption of poultry, fish, and seafood
Pescatarianism, which allows fish and seafood in addition to other food groups, while excluding all other types of meat
Veganism, which excludes all animal-derived products, including meat, milk, eggs, honey, and more
The Vegan Diet
The main food groups allowed in a vegan diet include:
Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, millet, wheat berries, buckwheat, bread, pasta
Vegetables, raw or cooked, including leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and starchy root vegetables
Fresh or dried fruits: limiting fruit juice obtained by pressing or squeezing is recommended, as it contains a higher amount of sugar that is absorbed more quickly in the absence of fiber from the pulp
Nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, hemp, and chia, along with cold-pressed oils derived from them
Food groups excluded from a vegan diet include:
Meat of any kind (fish, pork, chicken, beef, game)
Seafood
Eggs
Milk and dairy products
Honey
Pollen
Propolis
Royal jelly
Gelatin and other animal-derived food additives (carmine, shellac)
Animal-derived vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids from fish
Vegan Nutrition: Between Risks and Benefits
The main benefits of vegan nutrition include maintaining a body mass index appropriate for height, normal blood glucose levels, and good cardiovascular health. Studies conducted to date show that vegan diets are more effective at reducing blood sugar levels, total cholesterol, and its harmful fraction (LDL) compared to other types of diets.
Adopting a vegan diet is beneficial for patients with diabetes, as it helps increase insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues, allowing proper glucose utilization and preventing its conversion into fat deposits.
Vegans generally associate with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Their dietary pattern helps maintain normal blood pressure levels and reduces atherosclerotic processes.
Other health benefits of vegan diets include a reduced risk of developing tumors, improvement of arthritis symptoms, maintenance of optimal kidney function, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The main disadvantages of vegan diets relate to nutritional deficiencies that may occur due to insufficient intake of vitamins (especially vitamin B12), omega-3 fatty acids, and essential amino acids typically obtained from meat.
In some cases, vegan diets may involve increased consumption of processed foods (vegan burgers, vegan sausages) that contain significant amounts of food additives, sugar, and salt, which can have harmful effects on the body. Calcium and vitamin D deficiencies represent another risk associated with vegan diets, potentially leading to bone fragility and spontaneous fractures under minimal physical stress.
What Does Raw Vegan Mean?
Raw veganism is a specific type of diet that combines two principles: veganism and the consumption of foods in their raw, non-thermally processed state. A raw vegan consumes exclusively plant-based foods that are either raw or minimally processed at temperatures below 40–48°C. The raw vegan concept was initially introduced in society in the mid-19th century by a Presbyterian minister as a method of preventing illness.
Risks and Benefits of the Raw Vegan Diet
The main benefits of raw vegan diets include improved cardiovascular health through the normalization of blood pressure values and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a decrease in atherosclerotic processes by lowering serum LDL cholesterol levels, and a reduced risk of diabetes.
High intake of plant-based fiber improves digestive health and alleviates clinical symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
One of the greatest challenges of raw vegan diets is ensuring adequate daily intake of vitamins and minerals necessary for proper body function. Vitamin B12 deficiency associated with this type of diet can cause:
Infertility
Anemia
Disorders of central nervous system function
Cardiac and bone diseases
Loss of muscle and bone mass observed in raw vegans is caused by insufficient intake of vitamin D and calcium, while dental erosion occurs due to high consumption of citrus fruits and acidic fruits that damage tooth enamel.
Nutritionists state that the raw vegan diet can cause female infertility as a result of menstrual cycle disorders, most commonly amenorrhea. This is mainly due to insufficient intake of fats necessary for the synthesis of hormonal precursors, with cholesterol being the primary hormonal precursor.
Flexitarianism
The foundations of the flexitarian diet were laid by Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American dietitian who published the book The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life in 2009. The flexitarian diet allows moderate consumption of animal-derived products but is primarily based on a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Similar to veganism and raw veganism, flexitarianism reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension, contributes to achieving and maintaining optimal body weight, and improves certain intestinal conditions such as Crohn’s disease. However, incorrect adoption of a semi-vegetarian flexitarian diet may lead to deficiencies in vitamin B12, zinc, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, depriving the body of the benefits of these nutrients.
Plant-Based Diets
A plant-based diet includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains without excluding the occasional consumption of meat and dairy products. An example of a plant-based diet is the Mediterranean diet, which encourages daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables; fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt several times per week; and occasional consumption of other types of meat and sweets.
The Mediterranean diet, based predominantly on plant foods and whole grains, offers a range of health benefits, including:
Reduced risk of heart disease
Reduced risk of metabolic syndrome
Reduced risk of diabetes
Reduced risk of certain types of cancer (especially colon, breast, and prostate cancer) and depression
The main disadvantages of the Mediterranean diet include the risk of weight gain associated with high consumption of nuts and olive oil, anemia due to reduced iron levels, and hypocalcemia.
The Importance of Nutrition for Our Health
Nutrition plays a major role in overall health through its influence on the composition and diversity of gut microbiota, which supports immunity, as well as its impact on metabolism.
The University of Sydney published an article on April 21, 2025, in the International Journal of Obesity, stating that high intake of sugar and fats affects cognition through their pathological action on the hippocampus, a brain region involved in spatial orientation and memory formation.
Based on recent studies, a ranking of the most popular diets in 2024 was created, with plant-based diets ranking first, followed by the Mediterranean diet, the keto or clean keto diet, mindful eating (slow eating to savor ingredients), the flexitarian diet, and the longevity diet (which recommends consuming fiber-rich vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of animal protein).
In the United States, an article published in January 2025 stated that the Mediterranean diet ranked first among Americans’ dietary preferences for the eighth consecutive year, being increasingly adopted due to its benefits for digestive, metabolic, and nervous system health.
Health must be built step by step, every day, with each dietary and lifestyle choice we make. Well-being is both the responsibility of the physician, whose role is to prevent certain diseases, restore homeostasis in various body systems and organs, and stop or slow pathological processes, and, most importantly, the responsibility of the individual, through the lifestyle they choose to adopt.
