The strictest type of vegetarians, refraining from eating not only meat and fish, but also eggs, dairy products, and all other food containing or derived from animals, often including honey. A vegan diet contains no cholesterol and very little fat, so it is quite healthy as long as sufficient nutrients are obtained, especially vitamins B₁₂ and D, calcium, and quality protein. Most vegans also avoid wearing or using animal products of any kind, including fur, leather, and even wool. Vegans are motivated primarily by a humane and ethical concern for the welfare of animals and by a desire to avoid unhealthy food products, as well as by the realization that raising livestock and other food animals damage the natural environment and contributes, through its wastefulness and lack of efficiency, to world hunger.

See Also

Animal Rights; Environmental Ethics; Vegetarianism