31 vegan facts you probably didn’t know

The Englishman Donald Watson founded the “Vegan Society” in 1944, the first association for vegans. With this he wanted to define veganism more clearly, since according to him vegetarians are at least indirectly responsible for the exploitation and death of animals.

The word “vegan” is a shortened compound of the first three and last two letters of the English term “vegetarian”.

According to a study by Oxford University, vegans produce an average of two tons less greenhouse gases per year than omnivores or vegetarians. This CO₂-Amount equivalent to approximately eight Economy Class flights between London and Berlin.

Vegans, by definition, are referred to as “strict” or “strict vegetarians.”

A subgroup of vegans are the “raw food vegans”: they apply the same restrictions on food choices, but also avoid heated foods.

Some elite athletes are consciously vegan, including tennis legend Venus Williams. She switched her diet to vegan because of an autoimmune disease.

Vegetarianism is a precursor to veganism. According to historians, one of the first historically documented vegetarians was the Greek philosopher Pythagoras. Already in ancient times he followed a meatless diet.

Moby was already a vegan when hardly anyone knew the word. His pet was to blame for this: Moby became aware of the double standard, since on the one hand he would have done anything for his hangover, but on the other hand he ate animals.

Some fictional characters from comics, movies, and books have also been vegan for a long time. For example, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from the animated series «The Simpsons».

The American punk rock band “Rise Against” has been committed to animal welfare and veganism since the band’s inception. Many of their songs have socially critical themes as content. Her single “Ready to Fall” serves as a testament to veganism and satirizes environmental degradation issues.

Singer Billie Eilish is also a vegan since she gained a deeper understanding of the meat and dairy industry. She also uses her social media accounts to raise awareness of animal cruelty.

Mary Shelley, author of the novel Frankenstein, was way ahead of her time in 1818. She lived vegan, which also left traces in her book. This is how Frankenstein’s monster describes his eating habits:

The monster would definitely have liked these cake pops:

American singer Ariana Grande ate meat and cheese as a child, but has not eaten it for several years. Not least because of her love for her pet, the mini-pig «Piggy Smallz».

The world’s largest vegan music festival “Vegan Camp Out” will take place July 28-31, 2023 at Bicester Heritage, England. It offers live music, camping, lectures, yoga and fitness classes, activism workshops, and after-party events.

Joaquin Phoenix caused international enthusiasm in 2019 with his role as “Joker”. He has followed a purely plant-based diet since childhood and is committed to the vegan lifestyle. This year he is participating in the Veganuary again.

According to a Statista survey, the YouTube channel “mirellativegal” with about 640,000 subscribers ranked first in the ranking of the most popular vegan influencers in Germany at the beginning of 2023.

Youtuber Rezo is also vegan. But because he also abstains from alcohol, drugs, sex outside relationships and tobacco, he belongs to the “Straight Edge” lifestyle. This punk movement swears by sobriety. The code of the subculture is: “No smoking. Do not drink. Don’t fuck.”

Travis Barker has been vegan for 33 years. Apparently, he’s also been able to influence his wife Kourtney Kardashian, who tries to stick to a plant-based diet.

Veganism also plays a role in sex. Because many condoms contain casein, a protein extracted from cow’s milk by microfiltration. It is found in many pharmaceutical products and is used as a binder in the manufacture of condoms.

But don’t worry: vegan condoms are now also available at the drugstore.

Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, has not used any animal products since 2017 and proves that athletes can still be extremely efficient.

Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch does not only deal with animal products on his plate, but also with products such as leather and wool. In 2018 he was named “most beautiful vegan”.

Pamela Anderson has also been a vegan for a long time. The Baywatch actress believes vegans make better lovers.

Animal protection organization Peta investigated in 2022 which holiday countries are particularly vegan-friendly. Great Britain made it to number 1, where by far the most vegan restaurants can be found. Second place went to Israel, where herb offerings are widespread, even in rural areas.

Leonardo da Vinci was the most famous advocate of the vegan lifestyle in the early modern period. The philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire also proclaimed their vegan philosophy of life.

The “VeggieWorld” is the world’s largest series of vegan lifestyle fairs. With 17 locations in eight countries, it is constantly moving to other locations. Among others here:

According to the food producer “Rügenwalder Mühle”, it sold more vegan and vegetarian products than classic meat and sausage products in 2021.

Smoked tofu contains nicotinic acid. However, many people confuse this with the nicotine in cigarettes. However, it is a vitamin found in many foods, such as nuts.

Global meat production has tripled since 1970. Increasing veganism could change that.

According to Stiftung Warentest, soy milk often consists of less than ten percent soybeans. Other ingredients include water, sugar, fructose, sea salt, flavorings, stabilizers, vitamins and other ingredients.

Jainism, a transtheistic religion from India, is considered a religion of vegetarianism and veganism. The believers – “Jainas” – do without meat and eggs in their diet so that no animals have to suffer.

Vegans around the world spread information about their lifestyle on World Vegan Day on November 1. World Vegan Day is an international day of action that first took place on November 1, 1994.