T
hree years ago, I briefly dated a primary school teacher who was also a part-time animal rights activist. This experience led me to make a decision that has lasted ever since: I became a vegan. While things didn’t work out with the teacher, my commitment to veganism remained strong.
As time went on, I started wondering about the potential drawbacks of veganism on my pleasure and mental health. To address these concerns, I decided to study the effects of my decision. Unfortunately, I didn’t have funding for a large-scale trial, so I conducted a personal study, the results of which were recently published in Physiology and Behaviour.
I began by participating in Veganuary, like many others. On a daily basis, I recorded my activities and how much I enjoyed the food I ate. I also had regular weigh-ins and waist circumference measurements. Additionally, I completed weekly questionnaires regarding my depression and anxiety symptoms.
During January, I followed my usual vegan lifestyle, paying extra attention to ensure that all food and drink I consumed was vegan. I had a typical vegan diet, including dishes like chickpea curry, tofu stir-fry, and lentil pasta. I still ate out and even went on a weekend trip, although the vegan hotel breakfast was rather unusual.
In February, I temporarily stopped being vegan and repeated the same measurements and questionnaires. During this non-vegan period, I made an effort to eat meals that were not vegan, switching from oat milk to regular milk and consuming cheese, meat, and fish instead of my usual tofu, beans, and pulses. I again ate out and had another weekend getaway, this time to Spain. While the overall experience was enjoyable, I had an interesting culinary encounter with blood sausage and tripe.
Throughout both months, I carefully tracked my alcohol consumption, eating out habits, and exercise routine, but these factors didn’t vary significantly. After a “wash-out” period where I returned to my normal vegan lifestyle, I began phase two in August. I changed the order of vegan and non-vegan periods, starting with two months of non-veganism. During this phase, I didn’t track my daily behavior to avoid influencing it through self-monitoring.
When December arrived, I concluded my self-experiment. As a scientist, I analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitatively, I didn’t experience a defining moment that swayed me either way, but I did notice a few interesting observations.
As a non-vegan, I found that friends and family were more eager to interact with me when food was involved, and they expressed disappointment during the vegan periods of the study. I also noticed how veganism acted as a deterrent for unnecessary eating. Without animal-based snacks and desserts readily available, my temptation to indulge was reduced. This suggests that veganism may prevent the consumption of high-fat, non-vegan food items.
Quantitatively, the results were clear. My body weight was lower during the vegan periods and higher during non-vegan phases. After two months of non-veganism, I gained 1.6kg, but when I switched back to veganism for the next two months, I lost 1.2kg. Remarkably, my daily enjoyment of food remained consistent between vegan and non-vegan days. The same trend was observed for my mental health, with no significant differences in depression and anxiety symptoms.
It’s important to note that self-experiments have limitations. The results may not be generalizable or applicable to everyone. Additionally, my study was relatively short in duration. However, if the findings can be generalized, they suggest that veganism may have a positive impact on body weight, enjoyment of food, and mental health.
When I come across studies claiming that vegans are more likely to experience certain outcomes compared to non-vegans, I approach them with skepticism. It’s crucial to consider that vegans and non-vegans differ in various ways, and these differences may not be causally related. Using gender as an example, while there may be a higher proportion of females among vegans, it would be incorrect to conclude that veganism causes someone to become female.
As for my own decision about long-term veganism, I weighed the potential health benefits, reduced environmental impact, and considerations for animal welfare against the minor inconveniences. Nine months after the experiment, I remain committed to being a vegan.
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