US-based doctors' group promoting veganism in India

New Delhi, July 1: A lot of Hollywood actors were already doing it but when closer home Bollywood icon Aamir Khan recently announced his plans of turning vegan, many became curious. While some may express doubts, a doctors' group from the US has initiated an India tour to propagate the benefits of a vegan life. In a country which is all too familiar with vegetarianism, promoting this seems an easy task but is actually tricky. Because, apart from not eating any meat product, going vegan means avoiding meat-based products too, like milk and eggs. So there goes your paneer and curd! Zeeshan Ali of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit health organisation in the US, a body of 12,000 physicians, both of Indian origin and from around the world but working in the US that was established in 1985 and which promotes veganism, however says that a plant-based diet has been clinically proven to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and reduces your metabolic risks. Where milk consumption is considered essential for children's development, Ali says that kids should also be encouraged to take up veganism and thereby a healthier lifestyle. The six-city Building a Healthy India tour began in Bhopal June 25 and is travelling to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and finally Delhi July 6. The event also has the support of non-profit organisations like SHARAN and India's Freedom from Diabetes Clinic.