Here’s What You Need to Know About Plant-based Diets and Cannabis Edibles
Plant-based diets are gaining popularity as consumers learn about the health and environmental benefits of foregoing meat, if only for a day a week. Think #MeatlessMonday. Baby Boomers, in particular, are making purchasing decisions with sustainability in mind. The vegan food market is only expected to grow in the future as more meat, dairy and egg alternatives hit the shelves.
From April 12 to May 9, sales of plant-based meat substitutes grew by 34% when compared to the four weeks ending January 18, according to the New York Times. This increase in sales overshadows meat sales, which grew by 28%. Indeed, vegan products are seeing record demand, with sales up by 82% in 2020. In the cannabis edibles space, Wana Brands’ vegan Gummies dominate the market, holding the No. 1 spot at the national level for sales of all cannabis gummies, beating out its gelatin-based competition. In case you didn’t know, gelatin in non-vegan gummies is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones in water. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs.
How a Plant-based Diet is Healthier for You
Plant-based diets offer a myriad of health benefits, especially for people over the age of 40 who seek alternatives for improving cardiac health and overall wellness. The Journal of the American Heart Association recently published a study that followed the same participants over nearly 30 years and found that those who ate plant-based diets had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Vegan eating also correlates with a lowered risk of certain cancers, along with improved diabetes management and weight loss.
You may be wondering about how to transition to a plant-based diet. Fortunately, researchers have looked at the nutrition requirements for older adults making the switch. The Harvard Health Letter provides a good starting point, recommending a prioritization of plant-based foods that are high in calcium, protein and vitamin B-12. Of course, you’ll also want to consult with your primary care physician who may recommend routine bloodwork to monitor the diet’s benefits and identify any supplementation needs.
Plant-based Products are an Increasingly Popular and Affordable
As plant-based diets grow in popularity, more options are becoming available, making it easier than ever to make the switch. Companies now produce versatile plant-based proteins that will please everyone at the table. And fast-food chains offer plant-based options for people looking for plant-based alternatives on the go.
Other foods, including mayonnaise and egg substitutes, are even a widely available option today. As the demand for plant-based products continues to grow, prices will also go down, making plant-based diets more accessible than ever for more people.
Watch Out for Sneaky Animal-Based Products Like Gelatin
When you make the switch to a plant-based diet, it is easy to avoid obvious animal products like bone broth, cheese or eggs. However, other animal-based ingredients might sneak past if you’re not paying close attention. One of the biggest offenders is gelatin. Gelatin frequently shows up in baked goods and candies as a thickener. It’s also the ingredient that helps Jell-O and candy gummies solidify into unique forms.
Finding suitable alternatives for foods that typically rely on gelatin can be difficult. This extends to cannabis edibles as well. After all, the last place you’d expect to find industrially-derived animal byproducts is in your cannabis gummies!
When Wana Brands set out to develop high-quality gummies for both the cannabis and CBD hemp markets, sourcing high-quality, healthy ingredients was paramount. Wana tested over 30 different types of fruit pectin as a superior plant-based alternative for gelatin. Fruit pectin is a natural water-soluble fiber found in fruits and vegetables.
As a result of using pectin, Wana’s gummies have an incredible texture and real fruit flavor and taste that are nothing like rubbery gelatin-based gummies you might have tried in the past. Wana gummies are also gluten-free and contain no mineral oil, which may cause digestive upset. They are infused, not sprayed, which creates a more stable, consistent product. Wana also utilizes industry best practices, including cGMP and HACCP practices and third-party testing, to ensure product quality.
And Wana continues to refine its gummie recipe, with Wana’s new Quick Onset Gummie heralding a new formulation that is free of high fructose corn syrup. This development will roll out across all Wana products in the coming months.
You Are What You Eat—And What You Eat Impacts the Environment
Why do quality ingredients matter? To echo a saying that you may have heard growing up, “You are what you eat.” Taking that statement a step further, what you eat impacts the environment as well.
When you choose to buy plant-based products, you help reduce your impact on the environment. It’s easy to think that just a little bit of gelatin can’t make that much difference—but when you look at the big picture, you’ll see in fact that it does. The 50-Year-Old Vegans website breaks down the impact of animal-based products on the environment, noting that the meat industry is responsible for 55% of water consumption in the United States. The New York Times notes that farm animals contribute up to 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Switching just a few meals a week to plant-based could add up where the environment is concerned.
“As a company, we recognize that our decisions have an impact that extends beyond our ourselves to our families, communities, and the world around us,” said Wana CEO Nancy Whiteman. “At Wana, we embrace opportunities to reduce our environmental footprint through sourcing all-natural plant-based ingredients and utilizing sustainable packaging.”
If you’re looking for all-natural plant-based cannabis edibles, Wana products are easier to find than ever! Wana Brands cannabis gummies are available in eight states with legal medical or adult-use (recreational) cannabis. Gummies come in a wide range of options, including Sativa- and Indica-dominant gummies, as well as ratio gummies that can be tailored to your wellness goals.
Wana recently launched its Fast-Acting Quick Onset Gummies. Utilizing TiME (Thermodynamic individual Molecular Encapsulation), a new quick onset technology from Azuca, delivers a Delta-9-THC smoker’s high in an edible product that takes effect within 5-15 minutes and lasts between 2-3 hours for most people. If you’re looking for alternatives to inhaling, but also don’t want to wait hours for your product to kick in, then Wana’s Fast-Acting Gummies might be the product you’ve been waiting for. Check out this link to read our review of Wana’s new Fast-Acting Gummies.
Plus, Wana Wellness now offers convenient 10-count packs of its handcrafted Hemp Gummies Herbal Supplements featuring the pectin all-natural recipe and broad-spectrum hemp oil containing naturally occurring CBD. The new smaller-size packages of Strawberry and Mango provide 10 servings per bottle for a total of 200 mg of CBD. These travel-sized packs make it much easier to keep up with your dietary supplement needs while you are on-the-go. Broad-spectrum hemp oil ensures Wana Wellness Hemp Gummies are free of euphoria-producing THC, allowing consumers to receive the benefits of naturally occurring CBD without worry.
More about Wana Brands:
Wana became the No. 1 brand of edibles (BDS Analytics Brand Share Report 2019) in the United States, with more dollars sold than any other brand, by leading the industry in innovation. Whiteman told us Wana created its line of products to be used singly or in combination to address specific health, wellness and recreational needs. Wana offers a range of different CBD/THC ratios as well as a variety of different dosages, onset times and duration of effects.
Another reason for the popularity of Wana’s gummies: great flavor. Wana focuses as much on taste as on all the other qualities of its products. Wana says that more than 30 different types of pectin were tested to determine the best possible consistency of their products. Fruit pectin makes Wana Sour Gummies one of the only available vegan products on the market. During the cooking process, the gummies are infused with a high-quality tincture, not sprayed. All Wana products are made with gluten-free ingredients and taste like real fruit, thanks to all-natural flavoring, coloring and sugar. Wana gummies contain no mineral oil or artificial sweeteners, which can cause stomach upset. We also like Wana products because they are manufactured in line with cGMP and HACCP practices and are tested for potency.
To see more Wana products, visit their brand page on Three Wells.
