Every week, the TessDrive team gathers interesting or significant news and developments from advocates and proponents of plant-based lifestyle and technologies, because we firmly believe that the best that our planet can offer, and the best that we can do for the planet, does not involve giving up the lives of our fellow non-human sentient companions.
2 million Brits either vegan or following a plant-based diet
In a January report from The Vegan Society (vegansociety.com), new research has shown that 3% of people in Great Britain now identify as either vegan or following a plant-based diet, representing approximately 2 million individuals, with younger people aged 16 to 64 driving the movement and more women (3.60%) than men (1.89%) identifying as such. Aside from this, data shows a broader movement wherein 10% of the population are reducing or eliminating animal products in some way, suggesting a collective shift toward more mindful and sustainable eating habits.
Nearly half of Americans would consider a plant-based diet
In an April 24, 2025 report by Liam Pritchett in Plant Based News (plantbasednews.org), a survey conducted in March by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) found that 16% of the 2,203 US adults surveyed said that they would “strongly” consider eating a plant-based diet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), while an additional 30% said they would “somewhat consider” it. The survey also found that 40% of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that the US government should tax the meat and dairy industry for its excess GHG emissions, and 59% also strongly or somewhat agreed that the government should incentivize farmers moving away from animal farming and towards environmentally beneficial crops.
Tanzania’s healthy traditional cuisine
In an April 17 report by Charlotte Pointing in VegNews (vegnews.com), new research has shown that the people of Tanzania in Africa who eat their traditional foods are “far healthier” than their counterparts who eat Western-style diets. The new study consisted of 77 Tanzanian men divided into two groups. One group followed a traditional rural Kilimanjaro heritage-style diet, which is high in foods like okra, plantains, beans, and drinks like mbege, which is made with fermented banana and millet. The other half followed a more Western-style diet, full of processed foods like sausages, white bread, and French fries. The men who switched to the Western-style diet showed elevated levels of inflammatory proteins in their bodies, markers of metabolic dysregulation, and a reduced immune response. Those who remained with their traditional rural foods experienced the opposite effect. The researchers noted that these health impacts were still detectable 4 weeks after the study, showing that diet changes can have long-lasting effects.
Plant-based food could be good for cats and dogs
A January 20 report by the Totally Vegan Buzz Team (totallyveganbuzz.com) revealed studies that showed cats and dogs could thrive on a nutritionally complete meat-free diet. A 16-week study in 2009 involved sprint-racing Siberian huskies, including 10 weeks of competitive racing. The dogs on a plant-based diet remained in excellent physical condition. A 2021 Canadian study of 1,026 cats found that fewer of the 187 cats fed plant-based diets were reported to have gastrointestinal and hepatic (liver) disorders. Another study in 2022, published in PLOS ONE, involved over 2,600 dogs and examined 7 health factors, including veterinary visits, medication use, therapeutic diets, and 22 specific health conditions. Dogs on conventional diets had the worst health outcomes, while those on vegan diets performed better.
Top image generated by Gemini Advanced