WHAT IS VEGAN?
Veganism is first and foremost a way of life, before being an aspect of nutrition. Vegans’ are people who have chosen to limit the direct and indirect impact of their consumption on animals. Today, more and more products are being labelled ‘Vegan’, which means that they have not been tested on animals and do not contain any materials or sub-materials of animal origin. But beyond the animal cause, Vegan offers a real advantage for sportspeople, so we asked our head nutritionist Benoît Nave:
‘The added value for sportspeople? When there are no ingredients of animal origin, there is no trace of milk, milk protein or even whey.
Dairy-free means lactose-free, yet most foods, particularly energy bars for sportspeople, contain milk proteins (‘WHEY’) or simply ingredients that contain lactose as a result of industrial processing’.
What is lactose?
‘Lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk. It is not absorbed directly by the body because it must be metabolised by an enzyme called lactase before it can be digested. However, this enzyme is only produced by babies of all mammalian species and by only around 25% of the adult population. What's more, in adulthood lactase activity is reduced by 90%.
So not digesting milk properly is neither a disease nor an anomaly, but rather a rule in all mammals and in humans.
However, this should not be confused with milk allergy, which is an immune dysfunction caused by the absorption of milk proteins.
In this case, how is lactose digested in the absence of lactase? Lactose is broken down by bacteria in the large intestine, a process that causes bloating, flatulence and abdominal discomfort.’ That's nice!
A little history:
Let's take the postulate of Paleolithic man: the appearance of the first humans around 2.5 million years ago, Homo habilis; then the appearance of our species around 200,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens: the hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic had nutritional requirements adapted to the food available. However, despite thousands of years of agricultural development and changes in eating habits and lifestyles, the nutritional requirements of today's species differ very little.
En effet, notre corps et notre métabolisme n’ont que très peu évolué : si l’on rapporte la période d’évolution du genre humain depuis son origine à une seule année, c’est comme si l’homme s’était mis à boire du lait il y a seulement 24 heures, ce qui pourrait expliquer le sevrage du lactose chez 75% des adultes !
WHY VEGAN ENERGY PRODUCTS AT BAOUW?
As you can see, our barset purees contain no ingredients of animal origin, so they're officially Vegan!
Lactose is not an issue with Baouw bars and purées: they ensure total digestive comfort, especially for long-duration efforts. This is vital, because digestion is a sensitive issue for sportspeople, and is often the main reason for dropping out of long competitions. You only have to interview the ‘non-finishers’ of a trail or marathon to realise this!
Finally, over and above this issue for sportspeople, our products also appeal to all those who consume ‘Vegan’ for ethical reasons: our products allow you to find un encas sain et/ou de booster ses performances sportives while avoiding any type of ingredient of animal origin.
In short, there's something for everyone at Baouw: athletes, vegans and lovers of good taste!
