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Put it to the test
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Put it to the test To see if “Veganuary” makes a difference, we (once again) turn to self-experimentation GREGOR MENDEL had his pea plants. Ivan Pavlov had his dogs. At New Scientist, we have our staff, and every so often we like to experiment on ourselves – in pursuit of greater knowledge, of course. Perhaps our most triumphant episode of self-experimentation came in November 2013, when 14 of our staff trooped into a London hospital looking unusually sober. A doctor told them: “You’re going to be very excited.” For the previous month, they had been part of a pilot study to test whether a month off alcohol – Dry January as public health groups promote it – could really make a difference to your health. The results were surprisingly stark: scans showed that liver fat, whose build-up can damage the organ, dropped by 15 per cent on average among the 10 volunteers who gave up booze for the
month, while there was no change for the four participants who drank as usual. The study hinted that even short periods of behavioural change can have important effects, and highlighted the need for better evidence on this question of public interest. It spurred the researchers to keep on investigating.
“Our most triumphant experiment came when 14 of our staff trooped into a hospital looking unusually sober” A similar opportunity now presents itself. You may hear plenty in the coming weeks about the merits of “Veganuary”, a month without eating animal products to benefit your health and that of the planet. It is an idea we welcome. There is no doubt that dropping meat and
dairy is one way that individuals can meaningfully lower their carbon footprint, and long-term observational studies do suggest that vegan diets can be a boon for your health. But going vegan is no cakewalk. Giving up staple foods and daily comforts like milk in your tea can be a wrench, and it can take careful planning to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. So, can short bouts of vegan eating yield any real benefits? To find out, 19 New Scientist staff gave veganism a go – with some unexpected results (see page 32). In 2018, the researchers behind our Dry January study published the results of a larger version with more participants, confirming and expanding on those initial findings. We hope our modest Veganuary study might eventually prompt something similar. ❚
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© 2020 New Scientist Ltd, England. New Scientist is published weekly by New Scientist Ltd. ISSN 0262 4079. New Scientist (Online) ISSN 2059 5387. Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper and printed in England by Precision Colour Printing Ltd
Non-exec chair Bernard Gray Senior non-exec director Louise Rogers
CONTACT US newscientist.com/contact General & media enquiries Tel+44 (0)20 7611 1202 UK Tel+44 (0)20 7611 1200 25 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ES Australia 418A Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 US Tel +1 617 283 3213 PO Box 80247, Portland, OR 97280 UK Newsstand Marketforce UK Ltd Tel +44 (0)20 3787 9001 Syndication Tribune Content Agency Tel +44 (0)20 7588 7588 Email [email protected] Subscriptions newscientist.com/subscribe Tel +44 (0)330 333 9470 Email [email protected] Post New Scientist, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH
4 January 2020 | New Scientist | 3
Put it to the test To see if “Veganuary” makes a difference, we (once again) turn to self-experimentation GREGOR MENDEL had his pea plants. Ivan Pavlov had his dogs. At New Scientist, we have our staff, and every so often we like to experiment on ourselves – in pursuit of greater knowledge, of course. Perhaps our most triumphant episode of self-experimentation came in November 2013, when 14 of our staff trooped into a London hospital looking unusually sober. A doctor told them: “You’re going to be very excited.” For the previous month, they had been part of a pilot study to test whether a month off alcohol – Dry January as public health groups promote it – could really make a difference to your health. The results were surprisingly stark: scans showed that liver fat, whose build-up can damage the organ, dropped by 15 per cent on average among the 10 volunteers who gave up booze for the
month, while there was no change for the four participants who drank as usual. The study hinted that even short periods of behavioural change can have important effects, and highlighted the need for better evidence on this question of public interest. It spurred the researchers to keep on investigating.
“Our most triumphant experiment came when 14 of our staff trooped into a hospital looking unusually sober” A similar opportunity now presents itself. You may hear plenty in the coming weeks about the merits of “Veganuary”, a month without eating animal products to benefit your health and that of the planet. It is an idea we welcome. There is no doubt that dropping meat and
dairy is one way that individuals can meaningfully lower their carbon footprint, and long-term observational studies do suggest that vegan diets can be a boon for your health. But going vegan is no cakewalk. Giving up staple foods and daily comforts like milk in your tea can be a wrench, and it can take careful planning to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. So, can short bouts of vegan eating yield any real benefits? To find out, 19 New Scientist staff gave veganism a go – with some unexpected results (see page 32). In 2018, the researchers behind our Dry January study published the results of a larger version with more participants, confirming and expanding on those initial findings. We hope our modest Veganuary study might eventually prompt something similar. ❚
PUBLISHING & COMMERCIAL
MANAGEMENT
EDITORIAL
Display advertising Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1291 Email [email protected] Commercial director Chris Martin Display sales manager Justin Viljoen Lynne Garcia, Bethany Stuart, Henry Vowden, (ANZ) Richard Holliman Recruitment advertising Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1204 Email [email protected] Recruitment sales manager Viren Vadgama Nicola Cubeddu, (US) Jeanne Shapiro New Scientist Live Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1245 Email [email protected] Events director Adrian Newton Creative director Valerie Jamieson Event manager Henry Gomm Sales director Jacqui McCarron Exhibition sales manager Rosie Bolam Marketing manager Katie Cappella Events team support manager Rose Garton Marketing executive Jessica Lazenby-Murphy Marketing Head of campaign marketing James Nicholson Poppy Lepora Head of customer experience Emma Robinson Head of data analytics Tom Tiner Web development Maria Moreno Garrido, Tom McQuillan, Amardeep Sian
Chief executive Nina Wright Finance director Jenni Prince Chief technology officer Chris Corderoy Marketing director Jo Adams Human resources Shirley Spencer HR coordinator Serena Robinson Facilities manager Ricci Welch Executive assistant Lorraine Lodge Receptionist Alice Catling
Editor Emily Wilson Executive editor Richard Webb Creative director Craig Mackie News News editor Penny Sarchet Editors Lilian Anekwe, Jacob Aron, Chelsea Whyte Reporters (UK) Jessica Hamzelou, Michael Le Page, Donna Lu, Adam Vaughan, Clare Wilson (US) Leah Crane (Aus) Alice Klein, Ruby Prosser Scully Interns Gege Li, Layal Liverpool, Jason Arunn Murugesu Digital Digital editor Conrad Quilty-Harper Podcast editor Rowan Hooper Web team Anne Marie Conlon, David Stock, Sam Wong Features Head of features Catherine de Lange and Tiffany O’Callaghan Editors Gilead Amit, Julia Brown, Daniel Cossins, Kate Douglas, Alison George Feature writer Graham Lawton Culture and Community Comment and culture editor Timothy Revell Editors Liz Else, Mike Holderness, Simon Ings Education editor Joshua Howgego Subeditors Chief subeditor Eleanor Parsons Bethan Ackerley, Tom Campbell, Chris Simms, Jon White Design Art editor Kathryn Brazier Joe Hetzel, Dave Johnston, Ryan Wills Picture desk Picture editor Susan Banton Production Production manager Alan Blagrove Robin Burton, Melanie Green
© 2020 New Scientist Ltd, England. New Scientist is published weekly by New Scientist Ltd. ISSN 0262 4079. New Scientist (Online) ISSN 2059 5387. Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper and printed in England by Precision Colour Printing Ltd
Non-exec chair Bernard Gray Senior non-exec director Louise Rogers
CONTACT US newscientist.com/contact General & media enquiries Tel+44 (0)20 7611 1202 UK Tel+44 (0)20 7611 1200 25 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ES Australia 418A Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 US Tel +1 617 283 3213 PO Box 80247, Portland, OR 97280 UK Newsstand Marketforce UK Ltd Tel +44 (0)20 3787 9001 Syndication Tribune Content Agency Tel +44 (0)20 7588 7588 Email [email protected] Subscriptions newscientist.com/subscribe Tel +44 (0)330 333 9470 Email [email protected] Post New Scientist, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH
4 January 2020 | New Scientist | 3