October 31, 20221
Interest in vegan and vegetarian lifestyles is on the rise, as public concern over health and nutrition amidst the ongoing pandemic is at an all-time high. The sustainability question around the meat industry and its impact on climate change is another motivating factor for many individuals to make the change. This shift in consumer trends has sparked numerous innovations and trends to arise in vegan nutrition, and has made even lifelong steak lovers more open-minded.
In this post, we’ll discuss various trends in vegan-friendly alternatives and supplements that are projected to pop in 2022.
Therapeutic Alternatives and Supplements
A vegan lifestyle shouldn’t automatically bar people from medications and curatives for common ailments. It’s unfortunate that in some cases, there simply aren’t any medications available that don’t rely on animal products — but ongoing research into natural, plant-based options is showing a lot of promise.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a good example of a natural plant compound with plenty of therapeutic potential. CBD’s wide range of beneficial applications makes it a viable supplement to traditional therapeutics for health-conscious consumers. The research around CBD has been a welcome development among vegans, as skepticism of conventional drugs like opiates and animal-tested medicines grow in response to reports of dangerous side effects like ulcers and constipation.
Market access to everything from standard to high potency products, a low side effect profile and available door-to-door product deliveries are all factors that make CBD very popular among vegans and non-vegans alike.
Safety and convenience aside, numerous studies show that CBD can serve as a natural preventative health supplement against common anxiety and inflammatory disorders. The growing body of scientific literature on CBD’s potential applications in the future of natural medicine ensures that CBD supplementation will be a vegan-friendly trend going well into 2022.
Natural Skincare
It’s common knowledge that skincare product manufacturers have been shifting toward natural active ingredients in recent years. Items like hemp-based calming face creams, pure aloe gel moisturizers, or oatmeal oil-controlling face wash are no longer a rare sight in stores and pharmacies.
The top collagen products on the market have historically been fish-based, and have been mostly manufactured using other animal products as a foundation. Luckily, this vegan collagen market gap has not gone unnoticed, and a new collagen alternative is set to hit the shelves in 2022. VeCollal claims to have been engineered to imitate human collagen; it was developed in collaboration by Dr. Josue Vazquz and the company founder, Tony Van Campen.
Vegans and conscientious consumers alike will have no difficulty keeping up on these naturally-sourced products and more in 2022, as they’re sure to be on every influencers’ short list soon after they’re made available to the public.
Nutrition Supplements
A vegan lifestyle requires close attention in maintaining a well-rounded and balanced diet. We all know monitoring caloric intake alone isn’t enough; vegans also need to be sure to consume sufficient amounts of the right minerals, vitamins, and macronutrients to keep the body functioning efficiently.
Pea protein is a great way to round out a plant-based diet. It’s not only naturally hypoallergenic, but also a very convenient way to supplement your diet with both protein and iron. To make sure you get the most bang for your buck, keep a close eye on the quality of the ingredients and to avoid fillers.
Potato milk is projected to become one of 2022’s hottest selling dairy alternatives. According to a recent CBC article, “potato milk might also be the most environmentally friendly milk option” because it requires 56 times less water than almonds, and potatoes are “one of the most productive and easy to grow foods in the world.” What this boils down to is a reliably sustainable resource that won’t necessitate the price hikes consumers have come to expect with plant-based alternatives.
Finally, 2021 has also seen the rise of a burgeoning vegan-friendly multivitamin industry. There are even multivitamins that are specially formulated for different vegan demographics, like women’s formulations — which will have higher concentrations of calcium and iron to combat osteoporosis — and sport formulations for the more active and athletic consumer. Regardless of lifestyle, multivitamins are a convenient and reliable way to ensure optimal nutrition and immune system function.
Contributed by Paul Lewin
