Veganism changes lives. With 2019 seeing the largest participation in Veganuary to date. According to stats from the official Veganuary campaign, over 250,000 people from 193 countries around the world are expected to have joined the revolution in adopting a plant-based diet. With so many reaping the benefits of this lifestyle change, it is interesting that new research has drawn links between Veganism and depression. Through social media we are constantly exposed to the countless benefits of this diet; you only have to hashtag “vegan” on Instagram before your feed is flooded with vibrant photos of delicious dishes that seem to scream ‘healthy,’ in every single way. Bloggers such as @highcarbhannah or @just.anothervegan, post aesthetically pleasing pictures of fruit or vegetable based recipes and we wonder how anyone can ever be unhappy with a lifestyle like this? However, such a restrictive diet can be hard to manage, and often we are left craving the foods we used to love. Is Veganism categorically healthy or do we need to rethink? 

In a study of 90,000 adults in 2018 documented by Psychology Today, researchers in France examined the correlation between giving up various food groups and depressive symptoms among meat eaters, vegans, true vegetarians, and vegetarians who ate fish. The symptoms increased with each food group that was given up. People who had given up at least three of four animal-related food groups (red meat, poultry, fish, and dairy) were at nearly two-and-a-half times greater risk to suffer from depression. Considering bloggers such as Freelee The Banana Girl promote an all vegan, all raw foods diet as the only diet for your health and heart, it is interesting that there can be such a difference between what research tells us verses what bloggers promote. If studies show such a strong link, why would we ever choose a plant-based diet?

Out of all the vegan bloggers, High Carb Hannah has always appeared to encourage a plant-based lifestyle that is healthy and satisfying. Admitting that she used to have an unhealthy diet based mostly around fast food, she turned to Veganism not only for weight loss but also to avoid fatty and sugary foods that are processed and unnatural. Her name comes from her focus around a high carb diet, that requires eating minimal fats and lots of carbohydrates in order to lose weight. Hannah however is not the extreme, as some have taken the ‘high carb low fat diet’ so far, that they have limited themselves to only potatoes. Spudfit is a vegan blogger who solely ate potatoes for a whole year, promoting the possibility of sustaining yourself on purely this root vegetable. Whether it is just potatoes, bananas, or only raw foods, these extreme vegan diets require a level of restriction that can be dangerous. Social media accounts may promote certain aspects of Veganism that may have worked for them, without considering the subjective effects on others. At a time when society is so acutely food conscious, it is not healthy to promote such restrictive lifestyles, that people may blindly copy unaware of the consequences. 

However, there are some accounts that can prove that going vegan doesn’t have to mean giving up enjoyment in food. Gaz Oakley, the ‘Avantgarde vegan’, is a creative chef who is constantly exploring ways to veganise classic dishes. His Instagram feature delicious recipes focused around flavour and enjoyment rather than health. After recently collaborating with Wagamama to create a Vegan Ramen (including a vegan egg) it is clear that Gaz believes Veganism does not have to be restrictive or boring.

For me, the key to conquering success with Veganism, as with any diet, is to question your reasons why. If you are not truly invested, or perhaps are interested in Veganism for the wrong reasons, then it is not hard to see how giving up so much, may lead to unhappiness. If you have a passion for the environment or animal welfare, then the sacrifices you make will feel worth it. In essence, Veganism is a huge change, so if you want to make the leap then make sure you rely on research from official websites such as The Vegan Society’s or vegan.com, rather than the superficiality of your Instagram feed.