Beyoncé made headlines when she briefly adopted a plant-based diet along with her husband rapper Jay Z.
The Lemonade singer, one of the most powerful women in the music business, switched to veganism – but only for 22 days.
Now, new research suggests this short stint was enough to trigger a rise in the trendy movement, potentially encouraging millions to follow suit.
Interest in a plant-based diet, also championed by Jared Leto, Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike Tyson, has grown in recent years as studies show it is beneficial for heart health and even lowers the risk of some cancers.
Experts say that vegan diets can be perfectly healthy – but they can cause serious health problems if followed incorrectly.
A lack of nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, zinc and high-quality protein are concerns.
Beyoncé and husband Jay Z popularised the 22-day vegan meal plan when they announced they were adopting it in December 2013
Experts say celebrities following vegan lifestyles – such as actor Jared Leto – is fuelling a rise in followers of the lifestyle
Veganism for health reasons
Finnish doctoral student Outi Lundahl, from the University of Vaasa, argues in her thesis that veganism increased because of Beyoncé’s dabble with it in December 2013.
‘Interest in veganism seemed to explode because of this stint and I became intrigued,’ she said.
But she explained that the pop diva and her husband did not seem to adopt veganism on moral grounds – as demonstrated when Beyoncé was photographed wearing leather and fur to an LA vegan restaurant.
Advocates of veganism also argue it has huge environmental benefits, including increasing the amount of grain available to feed people, reducing pollution, saving water and energy, and ceasing to contribute to the clearing of forests.
However, Ms Lundahl argues celebrities have transformed veganism from a political, moral movement to a diet for health and weight-loss purposes.
Celebrities such as singer Madonna (left) and Gwyneth Paltrow (right) have raised their children vegan
Figures indicate that Ms Lundahl is right about the rise in interest. According to search engine giant Google, the searches worldwide for the term ‘vegan’ spiked in 2015, increasing 32 per cent from the previous year, and by 90 per cent in 2016.
Americans who identify as vegan currently make up six per cent of the population which means 19.3 million people – an increase of 600 per cent since 2014, according to research firm Global Data.
In the UK, research in 2016 suggests the number of vegans has risen 360 per cent in the past ten years to 542,000 people – now 1 per cent of the UK population – from just 150,000 in 2007.
The poll by Ipsos MORI and The Vegan Society suggested young people in particular are giving plant-based diets a go. Close to half of all vegans are aged 15 to 34 (42 per cent), compared to 14 per cent aged over 65.
And even among those not wholly embracing the diet, many trying to include more plant-based foods. Some 28 per cent of Britons say they have cut back on meat consumption over the past six months, according to a study earlier this month by retail analysts Mintel.
Dominika Piasecka, spokesperson for The Vegan Society, said: ‘Celebrities are role models. Their influence has definitely helped to further the cause of veganism.
‘You can get everything your body needs from a vegan diet – vegans actually tend to eat much more fruit and vegetables than the rest of the population which has amazing health benefits.
‘Eating a balanced vegan diet helps to limit saturated fat and get plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals.
‘The British Dietetic Association has said that a vegan diet is suitable at any age or life stage, including infancy, childhood and pregnancy.’
The evidence for
Advocates of plant-based eating say vegans typically have lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, a lower body mass index, and reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer.
Scientists at the University of Ghent found that swapping dairy for soya products could substantially reduce a person’s risk of getting cancer.
Among those eating a soya-rich diet, the risk of developing colon cancer is reduced by 44 per cent in women and 40 per cent in men, the research revealed back in April
Women who swap dairy for soya have a 42 per cent lesser risk of getting stomach cancer, while men’s risk is reduced by 29 per cent, the study found.
Cutting out dairy also reduces men’s prostate cancer risk by 30 per cent, the research adds.
And last month, French scientists discovered that consuming processed meat can even worsen symptoms of asthma.
The case against
However, London-based nutritionist Rob Hobson warns cutting out milk and dairy increases the risk of serious health problems like osteoporosis later in life.
He told MailOnline: ‘The problem is that milk and dairy products are an important source of several key nutrients.
‘Cutting out on the foods reduces the intake of calcium and iodine – raising the risk of deficiencies.
‘Dairy products are also a useful source of iodine – a micronutrient important for women during pregnancy and young children that contributes to growth and brain development.
‘Our bones continue to grow until we reach our mid thirty and during this time it’s important to make sure diets contain enough calcium.’
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) found a large number of young people are failing to get enough calcium in their diets to meet their needs.
The NDNS found 22 per cent of girls aged 11 to 18 and 10 per cent of adult women in the UK don’t get enough iodine in their diet.