Can Vegans get Enough Nutrients?

Whether you’ve made a choice to be vegan for health reasons or concern for animal welfare, it can be a challenge to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan diet. This is because there are some nutrients that mainly come from animal food – for example vitamins B12 and D and essential omega 3 fats EPAEPA is short for Eicosapentaenoic Acid. It is an essential omega-3 fatty acid found in fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, and is often… and DHADHA is short for Docosahexaenoic Acid. It is an essential omega-3 fatty acid found in fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, and is often…. IronWhat it does: As a component of red blood cells, iron transports oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from cells. Also vital for energy production…. can also be a problem as although it is abundant in beans, it’s easier for your body to use the iron found in meat.

Here are three of the key nutrients a vegan diet struggles to provide enough of – vitamin B12, vitamin DWhat it does: Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium. Deficiency Signs: Joint pain or stiffness, backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps, hair loss…. and omega-3 fats.

Vitamin B12

While algae do contain B12 like molecule it is not all in the form that can function as B12 in the body.  However, recent research has identified that chlorella does provide some active forms of B12, however some of it appears to be derived from bacteria present in the medium in which it is grown, rather than synthesized by the algae. This does mean that chlorella’s B12 will be a bit hit and miss, dependent on the medium it is grown in. In a study of 17 vegetarians and vegans who were B12 deficient, giving 9 grams of chlorella daily for around 60 days fifteen  (88%) subjects showed at least a 10% drop in MMA, an indicator of B12 status and at the same time, homocysteineHomocysteine is an amino acid found in the blood. Elevated levels of homocysteine have been associated with narrowing and hardening of the arteries, an increased… trended downward and serum vitamin B12 trended upward.  This is a modest improvement. Spirulina, on the other hand, provides predominantly pseudoB12 – 83% of its B12 in a form we cannot use. The remaning B12 may by derived from the bacteria in the growing medium.

The only functional B12 that I know of in vegan foods is found in shiitake mushrooms and laver seaweed, as used in Wales to make laver bread. Nori is a type of laver seaweed. Eating these foods or supplementing 10mcg a day is the only option.

Vitamin D

There are two forms of vitamin D – vitamin D2 is made in plants while D3 is found in animal produce and produced in the skin. Our main source of vitamin D is from sunlight acting on the skin. But you need to expose your arms and face for at least half an hour a day to make enough.

D3 is marginally more effective than D2 however the D2 used in vegetarian supplements, readily converts to D3 in the body and even D3 in supplements, while not technically ‘vegetarian’ is derived from the oil in wool.

So if you’re a vegan who doesn’t get enough sunlight as you tend to cover up or live in a cold climate, then Vitamin D is worth supplementing every day, taking in 15mcg or 600iu. In the winter double this amount may be necessary. The RDA in the UK is 5mcg but Scandinavian countries have increased this to 10mcg.

Omega 3

Omega 3 seed oils are processed by the body from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into EPA and DHA which are anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective and help to build the brain. DHA is especially important in pregnancy for development of the baby’s brain.

A major study carried out by Dr Ailsa Welch at the University of East Anglia, analysed the dietary omega-3 intake of over 14,000 people in Norfolk. One interesting finding was that dark green leafy vegetables provided a significant portion of omega 3s, as does meat among meat eaters, but not nearly as much as oily fish.

The more fish – especially oily fish – eaten, the higher the blood plasma levels of EPA and DHA, with supplement takers having very high levels. But what was interesting was that the difference in blood levels between non-fish eating vegetarians and fish-eaters was not nearly as great as expected. This was especially true in women. It may be that, if deprived of a direct source of EPA/ DHA, the body converts more from vegetable sources of ALA. One possible reason why women convert more effectively is that oestrogenOestrogen is one of the main female sex hormones…. may help. This would make sense from an evolutionary point of view since it is in pregnancy that these essential fats are critical.

“Until we know more about enriched sources of ALA – such as flax seeds, walnut, walnut oils, leafy, dark green vegetables – we should still be cautious as to whether you can really get enough without fish,” says Welch.

A small study compared blood levels of Finnish vegans and non-vegetarians. Vegans had a third as much EPA and DHA than the non-vegetarians.

There are good vegetarian sources of omega-3 including chia seeds and their oil and flax seeds and flax seed oil, both of which contain ALA. However, although ALA has been shown to have positive health benefits in its own right the issue is that not so much ALA converts into the more potent anti-inflammatory EPA, essential for the cardiovascular system and DHA, essential for building the brain.

A review  concluded “algal sources of DHA significantly improve [blood] DHA concentrations.” I consider these essential for vegans who become pregnant as foetal brain development is so dependent on adequate maternal DHA. The lack of B12 and DHA is the greatest danger of a vegan diet, most easily mitigated by supplementation.

The good news is that there are now supplements with DHA derived from algea such as my formulation Essentials4Vegans, which also contains choline, B12 and vitamin D3 derived from lichen.

OPTIMUM NUTRITION FOR VEGANS

If you are finding it challenging being a healthy vegan or are considering becoming vegan/more plant based but lack the confidence to take the leap, then try my new book Optimum Nutrition for Vegans published in December 2020 (Piatkus) with the latest up to date research.

I explain how to get enough proteinProteins are large molecules consisting of chains of amino acids. Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body – they are a building block of… and brain fats, control your sugar and energy, ensure you maintain sufficient vitamin and mineral levels and other small steps that maintain a good overall health.

I also cover what to eat, and in what combination, to achieve the best of health with clear principles for how to get enough good quality protein by combining foods, slow release carbs and essential fats. Plus 100 delicious easy vegan recipes that will nourish your body and your brain.