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In 2017, England striker Jermain Defoe said a vegan diet was partly responsible for his continued career in the Premier League in his late 30s.
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Many athletes who have gone vegan praise the diet for rejuvenating their careers. It can also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers, lower cholesterol levels and reduce cardiovascular disease. That’s quite common,” says Tom Sanders, emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London. Studies have shown a plant-based diet can be effective for losing weight. And it is increasingly championed for its health benefits. But the food – all plant-based, with no meat or dairy – is what most people think of. It has come to be thought of as a whole way of living, rather than a diet – adherents typically eschew leather, honey and other things made from animal byproducts. Since its inception, the raison d’etre of western veganism has been the reduction of suffering caused to animals (the core value, according to the Vegan Society, is to “exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals”).
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After reintroducing animal products, and speaking out about it, he was branded a ‘murderer’ and received death threats A host of new vegan brands, some owned by the major supermarkets, have made the once niche diet easy to follow. This year saw the biggest number (more than 580,000 people) sign up for Veganuary, pledging to eat a plant-based diet for the month. In 2019, it was estimated that around 600,000 people in Britain were following a vegan diet – up from approximately 150,000 people in 2014. In just over 75 years, veganism has grown from a fringe movement to a mainstream lifestyle choice practised by millions globally. Having operated at what she describes as 60% both physically and mentally, she was now “realising what normal should be”. Minor inconveniences, such as dealing with a grumpy customer at the farm’s market stall, no longer seemed like a mammoth burden the intense physical work on the farm felt less laboured. I remember leaping out of bed and it was only in that moment I realised I’d been slowly depleting my body of vital nutrients.” She says that the days after the reintroduction of animal products to her diet saw her clarity and ability to cope with stress return. The morning after the steak felt revelatory: “I felt this surge of energy. Sign up to our Inside Saturday newsletter for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the magazine’s biggest features, as well as a curated list of our weekly highlights.