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A yoga loving 97-year-old who recently completed her first year as a vegan says the diet has left her feeling “wonderful”.

Sprightly grandmother Anne Evers Fraser turned to the plant-based way of life shortly before she turned 96 and says she will never go back to eating animal produce.

She keeps active by walking on a treadmill each day, practices yoga with her granddaughter and even has a personal trainer visit for workouts twice a week.

Speaking to the Standard, Mrs Fraser said: “I feel wonderful. I have more energy, I feel lighter and less inflamed, my skin is more clear and I’m moving around better.

“I definitely think it’s keeping me healthier as I age.”

Mrs Fraser, who turned 97 last month and was born on August 4, 1921, even goes as far as to credit the switch in eating habits to getting rid of her irregular heartbeat, which left shortly after she turned to veganism.

“I had recently been diagnosed with Afib [irregular heartbeat], put on a medication and was feeling miserable. I thought I’d have nothing to lose by giving it a shot. A few weeks later my Afib went away,” she said.

Over the last months of shunning any food linked to animals she has largely avoided illnesses, apart from a ruptured appendix from which she has now recovered, and has kept healthy throughout even colder months.

“I usually get a bad cold in the winter but not this last one,” she said.

Her granddaughter, Maggie Bauman, said that the change had given her grandmother a “new zest for life”.

“Since going vegan she has more energy and wants to do things and make plans for the future. She is truly thriving on a vegan diet and it’s so inspiring to see,” said the 28-year-old, who runs a restaurant and is also vegan.

After noting the health benefits, Mrs Fraser said environmental and ethical reasoning she researched behind the diet encouraged her to maintain it.

Initially she turned vegan after watching a documentary called What The Health in July 2017 and has since viewed other films promoting the lifestyle.

Asked if she could ever ditch the diet, she said: “Never. Since learning about the ethical and environmental benefits of a vegan diet, I could never go back.”

She cited animal agriculture and links to environmental damage and also stated that she had noted the mindset that “the only difference between farm animals and ‘pets’ is our perception”.

The former secretary, who is from Brooklyn, New York, but now lives in Toledo, Ohio, now promotes veganism and shares pictures of her daily activities on Instagram – to her 18,000 strong following.

“I want the future generations to have a healthy planet and after learning about the impact animal agriculture has, I felt it was my duty to adopt a vegan diet and encourage others to as well," she added.

“I would say to any skeptics to be open minded and do your research. There is so much misinformation out there and you must consider the source and their conflicts of interest. Ask yourself why you are skeptical. Reflect on why you eat the foods you do.

“One thing I want people to know is that there is a vegan version of everything."

Stats from The Vegan Society state there are around 600,000 vegans in the UK – though other research, such as a survey from comparethemarket.com this year, estimated it could be more than three million.

NHS advice and the British Nutrition Foundation both state that most nutrients should be able to be attained by a vegan diet, though some planning and potential supplements may be necessary.

In regards to a diet cutting out meat, advice from the NHS said: “A vegetarian diet can be very healthy, but your diet won't automatically be healthier if you cut out meat.”