“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution towards a vegetarian diet,” Einstein said. Similar opinions were held by William Blake, Janis Joplin, Paul McCartney, Pythagoras, Tolstoy or Leonardo Davinci. But, What are the differences between vegan and vegetarian? Are these adjectives synonymous?
Marta Martínez, a vegan activist and author of a blog and several books on veganism, plant diet and sustainability. To better clarify the differences, learn about the similarities first.
How are vegans and vegetarians similar?
Both vegetarians and vegans exclude animals from their dishes: In other words, they do not eat any animal that has been alive, neither shellfish, nor fish, nor birds, nor mammals, nor insects, nor amphibians, and a long etcetera.
The diets of both are primarily plant-based or plant-based foodssuch as fruits, vegetables, grains, mushrooms and legumes, which in English are known as diets plant-based, and that they are increasingly booming.
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There are different reasons why a person decides to follow a vegan, vegetarian or even flexitarian diet —vegetarian with occasional consumption of meat or fish—: the reasons may be to care for one’s health, to reduce the carbon footprint, to support the environment and combat climate change or for the defense of animal rights.
Aitor Sánchez, dietitian-nutritionist and food technologist, points out thate scientific evidence is that both a vegan and vegetarian diet can be perfectly healthy and complete if it is well designed, like any other diet. In the case of veganism, vitamin B12 should be supplemented.
How are vegans and vegetarians different?
From Medical News Today help explain the distinction between vegans and vegetarians. According to Vegetarian Society, Vegetarians are people who do not eat products or derivatives related to the slaughter of animals.
A vegetarian does not consume:
- Meat, such as beef, pork, and game
- Poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck
- fish and shellfish
- insects
- Curdled cheese or milk, gelatin and other types of animal protein
- Broth or fat derived from the slaughter of animals, such as butter
However, the main difference is that, unlike vegans, vegetarians do consume eggs, dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, and honey. It is, therefore, a less strict diet that can be called ovo-lacto-vegetarian if eggs and dairy products are consumed; lactovegetarian if it includes dairy or ovovegetarian if it includes only eggs.
However, the vegan or strict vegetarian diet eliminates any food and by-products that have an animal origin. In other words, it is a 100% vegetable diet.
But also, and as Marta Martínez de my vegan dietveganism beyond, since animal ethics and anti-speciesism are in the DNA. It is not just a diet, but a political stance, a philosophy and a lifestyle.
“Veganism is an ethical, political, philosophical option that goes far beyond food,” explains the author. “It is the conviction that animals are subjects of law and that they should not be oppressed or exploited in any case, in any field.”
Antispeciesism considers that all living beings, and not just humans, are subjects of law and their lives have the same value.. It is opposed to speciesism, a form of discrimination based on belonging to a species.
The big difference: being vegan permeates all areas of life
Veganism is practiced from an anti-speciesist perspective, so it not only covers the field of food, but also that of clothing, footwear, cosmetics, hygiene, tourism, leisure, hobbies, sports, and even sex —there are non-vegan condoms—, the came —not all wines are—, the Photography —for the developed jellies— or the tattoos —There are inks of animal origin.
The word vegan is polysemic in the sense that it designates both the dieter and the vegan person. It should not be associated with being on a diet to lose weight or with a therapeutic diet: if a person defines themselves as vegan, the diet is part of a broader political position.
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Explained in another way, even if a person follows a totally vegetable diet, if they practice horseback riding, go to bullfighting shows, wear silk or leather clothes, or use cosmetics tested on animals, they would not be adopting the principles of veganism. The vegan movement is also opposed to animal experimentation of all kinds, and advocates more ethical alternatives.
“What is clear is that the vegan diet is that of vegan people, and that a non-vegan person can be a vegetarian, but will never eat ‘vegan’,” concludes Marta Martínez in her illustrative post.
