Has wellness cancelled veganism?
Once hailed as a panacea, veganism now faces scrutiny from former advocates turned sceptics – including the likes of Miley Cyrus, Anne Hathaway, Beyoncé, Kristen Bell and most recently, Lizzo, who have all publicly jumped off the vegan bandwagon in recent years.
Lizzo, 36, described herself as a 'former vegan' in a 'what I eat in a day' video she shared online. In it, she said: 'When I got to Japan, I was amazed at how clean and delicious their food was. After tests and research, I found that animal proteins helped me lose weight and improved my mental fog.
'I do believe that the vegan diet is still the healthiest diet to have, and I aspire to one day be a raw alkaline vegan.
'Until then, this is the diet that's helped me reach my goals and helped me feel good in my body. It can be scary talking about things like this because veganism is such a sensitive subject.'
In the video, which has sparked debate amongst her followers, she shows herself eating egg white cups, a buffalo chicken lettuce wrap, and grilled chicken with asparagus and carrots.
An array of people, from celebrities to civilians, have claimed that they believe their health was harmed by cutting out animal products, and that they have felt dramatically better soon after reintroducing meat, fish, and/or dairy.
The internet, and TikTok in particular, is flooded with reports from former vegans claiming the diet almost destroyed them – after all, while a vegan diet can be incredibly nutritious, with the introduction of ultra-processed vegan ‘junk’ foods, simply switching to a plant-based diet doesn’t guarantee an improvement in health.
The question on everyone's lips? Is veganism dead?
Evie Cody can pinpoint the precise moment her appetite switched. She was 24 years old in 2018, doing a one-year internship in New York, when she went to the supermarket one day. And there it was, a chicken in the chilled section, served up on Styrofoam with clingfilm over the top.
Its sticker read 'no antibiotics added'.
While conscious of the differences in meat production between here and the US, she recalls that the label ‘completely put me off’, triggering the beginning of her vegan journey, during which she went – for want of a better phrase – cold turkey, eliminating not only meat, but also fish, dairy, eggs and other animal products from her diet.
It was a decision emboldened by the messaging in cult-to-culture-defining documentaries of the time, including What The Health and Cowspiracy. Before long, not eating meat – along with other animal-derived products – had become part of Evie's identity.
Despite her initially health-conscious reasons for cutting out key food groups, fuelling herself on a strict vegan diet was only sustainable for 12 months – after which she transitioned to vegetarianism for several more years. But she was struggling – in mind and body – with disorienting brain fog a particular concern.
‘I was always concerned with how to get enough iron and vitamin B12 in my diet,’ says the commercial litigator, now 30, whose desire to stay feeling well for her busy schedule went up a notch after she founded luxury fashion brand Parterre. ‘It was incredibly restrictive, which made day-to-day decisions around eating harder,’ she recalls. ‘I believe it led me to make unhealthier food choices.’
Her plant-based bubble burst in 2021, when Evie was making dinner with her meat-eating partner and the recipe required chorizo to be added. ‘When we cooked together, he would always add meat to his portion and it became a faff to make different meals,’ she explains, of how she started to question why she was continuing to bother. ‘The sense that I'd be letting myself down if I gave up began to disappear.’
Steadily, over four months, she reintroduced animal products into her diet – to the point where she now eats meat most days and no longer worries about the dairy-free credentials of her breakfast porridge or risotto when dining out. After an initial fortnight of stomach aches, as her body adjusted, she felt her brain fog lift.
Unsustainable growth
For every story like Evie's, plenty more extol how veganism helped someone feel better. And yet, her plant-based 180° reflects what feels like a broader cultural shift in recent years. The swelling number of adherents-turned-sceptics includes Miley Cyrus (whose ‘brain wasn't functioning properly’ when she was eating vegan), Anne Hathaway (who ‘felt like a computer rebooting’ upon switching back to omnivorous eating) and Beyoncé (who also cited cognitive improvements).
What's more, social media – and TikTok in particular – has been buzzing with reports from those who believe their health was harmed by adhering to the diet, and who claim to have felt significantly better after reintroducing animal products such as meat and fish.
There's a growing awareness, too, that while the eating regimen is ripe for good nutrition, the rise of ultra-processed vegan 'junk' foods means that it's no longer associated with proper nourishment.
This is, of course, a far cry from the mid-2010s, when veganism grew to be as synonymous with a healthy lifestyle as Lululemon is with yoga kit.
The first shoots of a link emerged when Victoria Beckham picked up a copy of Skinny Bitch Book Of Vegan Swaps in an LA bookshop in 2007 – which (despite the title) included a critique of factory farming and animal cruelty; a message continued with the launch of Meat Free Monday by Paul McCartney, along with his daughters – fashion designer Stella and photographer Mary – in 2009.
In 2014, the Veganuary campaign was held for the first time. A year later, Beyoncé launched a vegan meal service, 22 Days Nutrition, with her trainer Marco Borges.
The idea that the eating regime could enhance fitness was further strengthened with the 2018 release of the Netflix documentary The Game Changers – about athletes, such as Lewis Hamilton, who follow plant-based diets.
By 2019, veganism had gone from fringe to mainstream – bolstered by messaging that it was better for the planet – and it was in a kale-fulled frenzy that The Economist declared it to be ‘The Year of the Vegan’.
Indeed, January 2019 saw a record 250,000 people sign up to Veganuary – more people than in the previous four years combined. Additionally, in those 12 months, a quarter of food products launched were labelled vegan, with sales of meat-free items having soared by 40% in five years. They famously included Greggs's vegan sausage roll and Deliciously Ella's supermarket snack line; Cadbury issued an apology to ‘plant-based Britain’ for not producing a dairy-free alternative sooner.
By this point, the restaurant industry – seeing the success of Temple of Seitan in east London's Hackney – wanted a taste, and baristas started routinely checking if you wanted ‘normal milk’.
Five years on, veganism's healthy shelf life appears to be up. It's a shift reflected in the data, with consumer insights platform GWI revealing that the number of people identifying as vegan has dropped by 215% in the UK over the past two years – with reports of vegan restaurants putting meat on the menu to save their businesses, and sales of chilled meat alternatives falling by 17% between 2022 and 2023 alone.
Brands have been listening – last year, cult sausage brand Heck chopped its vegan range from 10 items to two, while in February it was announced that sandwich chain Pret A Manger would be closing its final two 'Veggie' outposts. Nestlé has revealed it will be withdrawing its plant-based Garden Gourmet and Wunda brands from sale in the UK, deeming the products no longer viable in the market. Indeed, shares in Beyond Meat have plummeted from $230 in 2019 to just over $7.
So, why has our relationship with veganism started to sour?
Ground swell
The first rumblings of dissent can be traced back to The Game Changers, which sparked accusations that some arguments – such as chicken and fish being inflammatory – were built by cherry-picking research,
‘There were inaccurate claims about the vegan diet being healthier,’ says Kirsten Jackson, a consultant dietitian. Speaking to WH in 2019 about such criticisms, the film's chief science officer David Gold man told us that ‘instead of relying on outdated fears about plant-based diets, we should look at the strong body of evidence that supports this way of eating and make sure that everyone [...] is aware of what nutrients their bodies require and the healthiest sources to get them from.’
It's a point Jackson agrees with. ‘When done properly, a vegan diet is probably better than the average – which we know to be often too high in calories, saturated fats, sugars and processed foods.’
Indeed, studies have supported the health benefits of switching to a vegan diet, with a meta-analysis of over 190,000 people finding that those eating this way generally consumed less saturated fat and had lower BMIs, waist circumference, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose compared with their omnivorous counterparts.
Eric Robinson, a behavioural scientist and professor in psychology at the University of Liverpool, who has studied both nutritional approaches, says that a vegetarian sausage will typically have a healthier macronutrient profile than a traditional pork one – tending to be lower in saturated fat, but higher in fibre and with similar levels of protein and carbs. Then there are conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, symptoms of which have been found in research to be eased by plant-based eating.
And yet, that people felt better on a vegan diet was not always a given. There have been reports of formerly devout vegans organising 'recovery' retreats to help others reintroduce animal products and replenish their 'malnourished' bodies.
Then there's the recent backlash against oat milk, with experts, including Jessie Inchauspé – the French biochemist known as the 'Glucose Goddess' – claiming plant-based milk may be driving a surge in vitamin deficiency and spiking blood sugar levels.
‘I knew things were off when I couldn't eat beans, lentils and grains, and could only tolerate fast vegan foods such as processed burgers,’ notes Daniella Edkins, 32, a health coach and wellness blogger, who went vegan over a decade ago but suffered from digestive issues, fatigue and bad skin, causing her to reintroduce fish, eggs, meat and dairy back into her diet four years later.
‘I think my body was just desperate for it – and I've seen a positive impact on my energy, weight and complexion.’
Women giving up veganism for the sake of their health is something that Jackson has witnessed firsthand in her clinic. ‘Many who were originally completely vegan have now relaxed their diet,’ she says.
This is especially true for those who are pregnant – or considering starting a family. A recent study showed that 90% of expectant mothers in high-income countries, including the UK, were lacking essential nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy – such as vitamins B12, B6 and D, as well as folic acid and riboflavin, which are all mostly present in animal products. To be clear: eating vegan can support a healthy pregnancy – it just requires more precision. Up your intake of tofu and pulses, choose fortified alt-dairy and add a pregnancy-specific supplement.
Crunch time
This push is a worthwhile one – driven often by a desire to reduce carbon emissions as the climate crisis intensifies. Indeed, many who have adopted a vegan diet in the past decade were inspired to do so not only because of health benefits – and animal rights — but also by evidence underscoring how the meat and dairy industries have been harming the planet – due to pollution, greenhouse gasses and the consumption of fossil fuels, water and land.
The data shows that if everyone shifted to a plant-based diet, there would be 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use. Yet, the aforementioned GWI research found that 'eco fatigue' and the cost of living crisis were among the top reasons for the perceived decline in veganism.
‘Shoppers are less willing to pay the premium associated with meat alternatives,’ Carol Ratcliffe, NIQ senior insight analyst, told The Grocer. Indeed, according to one survey, vegan products can be as much as 26% more expensive.
But it's not as though seitan shawarma and oat milk lattes are completely off the menu. Data published earlier this year by market-research company Statista revealed that 4% of female respondents still follow a vegan diet, and while there may be contractions in the vegan food market, total sales of plant-based and whole foods are increasing – pointing towards an era of flexitarianism.
‘There was just a huge proliferation of vegan products before and suddenly we had 10 different types of vegan burgers, sausages and chicken nuggets,’ insists Toni Vernelli, policy head at Veganuary. ‘The real success of the movement has been growing numbers eating more plants.’ Consumer data backs her up: in January 2024, a Tesco survey found that Brits have been increasing their year-round vegetable consumption and, while Veggie Pret may be no more, one in three meals sold by the chain is still vegetarian or vegan.
Back to you: when consuming a plant-based diet (for ethics or health), balance is key. ‘It needs to be rich in foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices,’ says Rohini Bajekal, a nutritionist working at Plant-Based Health Professionals UK.
While the term ‘processed’ has developed negative connotations of late, she gives the green light to ‘lightly processed’ foods. ‘One such example is tofu, which is certainly a healthier choice when compared with red meat,’ she notes. As previously mentioned, those erring towards a vegan diet do need to be mindful of the risk of vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies – either through plant sources or supplementation.
So, to balance the needs of your health and the planet, get your fill of the latest nutritional know-how below...
3 ways to make your diet more planet-friendly (without going vegan)
1.Pulse it
‘Halving the amount of meat in your bolognese and replacing it with the same weight of tinned beans or lentils typically reduces the climate impact of the dish by 40%,’ says Sarah Bridle, chair of food, climate and society at the University of York.
2. Choose local
The climate impact of transporting fresh produce by plane is a hundred times higher than moving the same food by boat, says Professor Bridle.
In winter, swap delicate berries for apples, bananas or oranges, which can be shipped by boat.
3. Get organised
‘Producing food that goes to waste causes climate change,’ says Professor Bridle. So, plan meals and freeze leftovers. Finally, know that collective action (joining campaigns, voting for climate-enlightened politicians) trumps personal choices in tackling the climate crisis.
Read next
‘I had a mini-stroke and it was the health wake-up call I needed’ – Tim Spector, the microbiome expert famed for his nutrition app Zoe, on his own health journey and the need to explore what food really does in our bodies.
‘I decided I didn't want alcohol to be part of my motherhood’ – Zoe Blaskey, author of Motherkind, on being sober for 11 years and the process of learning to love yourself without alcohol.
How to make your much-loved Charlie Bigham dishes at home – from the bestselling Fish Pie to the award-winning Chicken Tikka Masala.
How fuelling athletes isn't one size fits all – WH delves into what’s à la carte for Olympic athletes – and their recipe for success…
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
