Jane Goodall’s death on October 1 prompted an outpouring of tributes from all corners of the globe—from Leonardo Dicaprio to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As one of the greatest figures in environmental protection and a pioneer in the study of chimpanzees, Goodall left an impact on a generations of activists and advocates
On Monday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the cause of her death at the age of 91. Goodall died in her sleep as a result of cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, according to her death certificate. The document also states that the deceased suffered from epilepsy, but this chronic illness does not appear to have been a factor in her death. As the risk of cardiac arrest increases with age, her death was considered to be “natural.”
Perhaps the secret of her longevity lay in the diet she adopted in the 1960s. True to her commitment to animal rights, Goodall ate only plant products. In an essay published in 2017, she encouraged readers to opt for a vegan diet. “I stopped eating meat some 50 years ago when I looked at the pork chop on my plate and thought: this represents fear, pain, death,” she wrote. “That did it, and I went plant-based instantly.”
Although it was an ethical choice to refuse factory farming and the environmental damage it causes, her diet is also said to have contributed to an improvement in her health. “When I stopped eating meat I immediately felt better, lighter,” she added. Her article pointed to a 2012 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, where Harvard researchers found that consumption of red meat is statistically linked to premature death and cutting it out of one’s diet could help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
But Goodall made her choice primarily with the environment and animals in mind. “I’m vegan for the environment because of the amount of grain that is grown to feed animals that we breed to eat,” she told The National. “I didn’t become vegan just because of my health. I became vegan for ethical reasons.”
Originally published in Vanity Fair France.
