“Veganuary” is back, a marketing campaign that invites people to try spending a month as vegans. To “atone” for the sins of Christmas excess. But does it really make sense?

As every January for some years now, the campaign called “Veganuary” returns: a month in which people all over the world are invited to try a vegan diet, that is completely free of all animal products, with the stated, but never proven, goal of improving health, the environment, and animal welfare. But is it really so? In reality, many of the narratives around Veganuary prove fleeting, simplistic, and misleading when analysed with scientific rigour and placed in the context of human physiology and the complex relationships among nutrition, health, and sustainability.

No, Veganuary is not detox

One of the most recurring and apparently most convincing arguments in support of an exclusively plant-based diet in January is the idea of the “Post-Holiday Detox”: a supposed natural detoxification process that is supposed to help the body recover quickly from Christmas excess and “restart” with more energy. It is a message that especially appeals to people who are full, tired of overeating and longing for a quick solution to get back in shape and leave behind any feelings of guilt. And the idea of a vegan month as a health shortcut, therefore, appears particularly seductive.

Too bad this narrative has no solid scientific basis. Eliminating foods of animal origin does not activate any purification mechanism in the body, which already has highly efficient physiological systems responsible for detoxification. On the contrary, sudden and unplanned restrictions can promote digestive imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and a weakening of the immune defences. A combination that is anything but negligible, especially in the middle of winter, when the body has a higher need for highly bioavailable nutrients and when colds, flu and seasonal infections are more frequent. In this context, weakening the body in the name of an imaginary detox risks being not only useless but counterproductive.

No, Veganuary does not mean more health

Many supporters of Veganuary present the vegan diet as the healthiest possible dietary choice. In reality, this claim lacks robust scientific evidence. Many of the conclusions that are cited in its favour actually derive from dated observational studies, often characterised by low methodological quality, and strongly exposed to confounding factors (lifestyle, socioeconomic level, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco consumption) that tend to produce distorted results.

The most recent research, based on more refined analyses and higher-quality databases, offers a very different picture: not only is the consumption of animal foods not associated with reduced life expectancy, but in various contexts a positive correlation emerges between meat intake and longevity. At the same time, the idea that meat is a direct cause of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia or cancer does not find solid confirmation when the data are analysed appropriately. On the contrary, the most recent research highlights the presence of bioactive compounds in meat that have so far been little considered, with potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-tumour properties, helping to critically review many of the certainties built in the past on fragile scientific foundations.

To this is added another recently published study that showed how vegans and vegetarians, on average, consume a higher share of ultra-processed foods than omnivores. A paradox that calls into question the automatic equation between a plant-based diet and adequate nourishment, especially when the exclusion of animal products is compensated with highly processed industrial substitutes. The more recent scientific literature underscores that dietary patterns that completely exclude animal products can be critical from a nutritional standpoint, especially if not carefully planned and supplemented. Deficiencies of vitamin B12, highly bioavailable iron, zinc and other essential micronutrients are not rare and can have concrete consequences for health, especially in the medium and long term.

Veganuary? A simple marketing phenomenon

In light of these considerations, it is clear that Veganuary is configured above all as a seasonal trend, rather than as a genuine public health proposal: a marketing phenomenon fueled by companies that tap into the fashion of the moment and turn it into a growing range of ultra-processed plant-based products. This is an obvious paradox, given that the initial message is about “naturalness” and well-being. It is not surprising, in fact, that a large part of those who experiment with a vegan diet for limited periods then return to an omnivorous diet. This fact suggests that the exclusively plant-based model does not adequately meet long-term metabolic, psychological and cultural needs. The human body has complex nutritional requirements that cannot be met by rigid exclusions alone.

Nutritional balance and dietary variety remain essential pillars of human health. Completely excluding foods of animal origin, even for just one month, requires planning, professional support and targeted supplementation, not simply adherence to a social media trend or a well-packaged media campaign. This invites a spontaneous reflection: food choices are not 31-day fads but daily decisions that profoundly influence health, the environment, culture, and social relationships. In an era when information travels fast but is not always rigorous, it is essential to go beyond slogans and return to questioning what science, common sense, and concrete experience really teach us. Human beings are omnivorous by evolution, and a complete, varied, and balanced diet remains the most rational and sustainable choice, in January as in the rest of the year.