Getting Adequate Nutrition as a Vegan

A plant-based or vegan diet is rated one of the healthiest eating lifestyles to follow. Not only can this method of eating help with weight loss, managing diabetes, lowering cholesterol levels, and avoiding certain types of cancers, but the lifestyle is environmentally friendly.

A person who follows a vegan diet is not guaranteed good health. When humans eliminate a food group from food consumption for extended periods, poor nutrition risks can outweigh the benefits.

Here are some nutritional groups vegans must adequately plan for and pay attention to avoid malnutrition problems.

Vitamin B-12

The bacteria in the large intestines of animals like cows, sheep, and goats produce the B-12 vitamin when they eat grass and plants. The animals can then store this vitamin in their meat.

Humans can absorb B-12 by consuming meat, but humans who don’t consume meat have difficulty producing enough B-12. Our digestion tracts and gut bacteria are different from livestock animals, and humans try to clean and sanitize everything to avoid bacteria.

A lack of Vitamin B-12 can result in a low red blood cell count and nervous system symptoms, including numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. These symptoms are reversible if treated early, but severe and prolonged deficiency can cause long-lasting nerve damage.

Adding nutritional yeast flakes to vegetables can add a cheesy seasoning flavor with vitamin B-12 supplementation. Some great recipes for making a vegan nutritional yeast cheese sauce for vegetables and tortilla chips are also available.

Other ways to add needed vitamin B-12 include adding fortified bread, cereals, soy products, and fortified plant-based milk to the diet.

Look for bread and other vegan products fortified with vitamin b-12

Vitamin D and Calcium

Studies show that some vegans do not get adequate vitamin D and calcium in their plant-based diet. Even people who get quite a bit of sun exposure still have low vitamin D levels, and vitamin D is needed to metabolize calcium.

Calcium is an essential mineral element that comes from the soil. Plants absorb calcium from the ground as they grow, and the calcium is then consumed by the animals when they eat the plants.

Bone health is the primary concern with low levels of vitamin D and calcium. But we don’t have to drink cow’s milk or eat meat to maintain our needed levels.

Adequate vitamin D and calcium levels include sufficient sunlight exposure and eating proper foods. Vegan foods high in vitamin D include fortified soy milk and yogurt, fortified cereals, and mushrooms. UV-exposed white, cremini, and portobello mushrooms are also good sources, along with maitake and shiitake mushrooms.

Mushrooms

Vegans can enjoy calcium-rich foods like dark leafy greens, mustard greens, spinach, collard greens, turnips, and bok choy. The list also includes fortified soy products and non-dairy milk alternatives like soy, almond, and coconut-based milk and yogurt. Navy and white beans are other good sources of calcium.

Iron

Red blood cells carry oxygen to all the body’s tissues. The human body creates red blood cells with the help of iron we get from our foods.

A deficiency of iron in the diet can cause anemia. Complications of anemia can include an enlarged heart or heart failure, problems with pregnancy, and delayed growth and development in children.

Dark leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, and whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, barley, and bulgur help vegans avoid an iron deficiency. A vegan diet should also include beans, nuts, seeds, peas, lentils, and spirulina–an easily absorbed powder from microalgae with high iron content.

Lentil soup

Zinc

Zinc needs phytate to be absorbed by the human body. Vegans can ingest phytate by eating grains, legumes, and seeds.

Zinc is essential to many cellular functions like the immune system, body growth, development, and wound healing.

Vegans who include beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, soy, and fortified cereals can avoid a zinc deficiency.

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are nutrients that help build and maintain a healthy body. The three omega chemical compounds are EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid), DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).

Omega-3s have been beneficial in lowering elevated triglyceride levels, lowering pain levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and metabolically supporting patients with depression, ADHD, and inflammation. Research suggests omega-3s may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Vegans may use plant-based ALA conversion into the EPA and DHA chemicals by including seeds (like chia, ground flaxseed, and hemp), walnuts, spirulina, and sea vegetables in their diet.

Most vegans are well versed in nutrition and understand the body's nutritional needs. Careful planning and attention to a few details can help support vegans to an even higher level of health experienced by the plant-based lifestyle.