TEN years ago, veganism could have been classed as a trend perpetuated by bohemian hippies.

At that time there was a general view veganism was a fashion with naysayers portraying vegans as limp and pale due to a lack of a good steak.

But now attitudes have changed and phenomenally, and the health benefits of a diet based on vegetables, seeds and pulses, as well as the benefits to the planet, are well documented.

It is fair to say veganism has gone mainstream.

According to the Vegan Society, the vegan trend quadrupled between 2012 and 2017.

It now gets almost three times more interest on search engines than vegetarian and gluten free searches.

November has become World Vegan Month and the Vegan Society will also be celebrating 75 years.

World Vegan Month recognises how far the vegan movement has come, highlights how accessible vegan lifestyle now is and encourages the vegan-curious to take that leap.

Annastasia Ward runs Vool-Vegan Cool - a pop-up shop offering vegan sweet treats, groceries and supplies.

She is a stallholder at Colchester Market and also runs Colchester Vegan Drinks at the Queen Street Brewhouse.

She went vegan in 2007 having been a vegetarian for years.

She said: “I started off trying to increase my vegetable intake and it led me to vegan recipes, which then took me on to animal welfare websites.

“I have most definitely seen the benefits. I feel much more energetic. It has forced me to expand the range of foods I eat as if I wanted something I would have to cook it myself.”

There is a running joke vegans try to impose their ideals on others but Annastasia believes people must find their own way of swapping diets.

She said: “It’s really important for people to find their own path.

“People start a vegan diet but find it too hard and most of the time it’s because they have done it because someone told them to.

“I don’t think becoming vegan is hard but you have to look at the reason why you are doing it, as that will help you stick with it.”

She says most people are aware of what happens behind the scenes when it comes to producing dairy products but they feel uncomfortable accepting it.

“Most people grow up eating meat and dairy and it seems like the normal thing to do,” she said.

“If you are going to buck the trend it seems like it takes a lot of effort to do it.”

Another thing putting people off switching diets is the cost of vegan products compared to run of the mill dairy products.

Vegan sections in supermarkets can often be small and prices higher.

“It does depend on what you eat,” Annastasia said, “but there has never been a time when it has been more accessible.”

Younger generations are starting to catch on when it comes to discovering the benefits of veganism.

Famous teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has told her followers to go vegan.

She ditched animal products after learning about the impact of animal agriculture on the planet.

Veganism has even started to change fast food with the controversial Greggs vegan sausage roll being introduced at the beginning of the year.

KFC has also launched a vegan chicken burger made from quorn.

There are health professionals who have reservations about veganism and advise certain groups steer clear of a vegan diet.

Research by the British Medical Journal found vegans are at a higher risk of stroke.

Vegans had three more strokes per 1,000 people compared with the meat-eaters.

The researchers suggested this could be linked to low vitamin B12 levels but agreed more studies were needed to investigate the connection.

Diet experts say, whatever people’s dietary choice, eating a wide range of foods was best for their health.

Vegans can become deficient as iron is also less easily absorbed from plant-based foods.

Pregnant women are also advised to vary their diet.

Vegetarian and vegan mums-to-be need to make sure they get enough iron and vitamin B12, which are mainly found in meat and fish, and vitamin D.