Basic vegan nutrition

Photo: justinknol

Veganism is often heralded as a very healthy way to eat. It certainly can be, and has more chance of being so than standard western eating habits. It avoids many of the dangers of omnivorous diets, as well as containing much better quantities of most essential nutrients. However, there are still some key nutrients we need to search out and help other vegans be aware of, to keep us in tip top condition and avoid risks. Then it can be a healthy diet for life for us all.

That's why we developed this key vegan nutrition page for everyone.

Highlights

A good vegan diet is wide ranging and varied, it includes wholefoods and fresh produce, as well as fortification/supplements of the few nutrients not reliably available to vegans in the modern world.

With a non-vegan diet you have to worry about getting too much bad stuff and not enough vitamins. Vegans don't have to worry much about that except for the obvious junk food excesses of salt, sugar and trans-fats.

There are just five key things you need to focus on as a vegan, as everything else will generally take care of itself in a varied vegan diet. Make sure you regularly include sources of the items below along with all your fresh fruit and veg, pulses, nuts and whole grains, and you'll be sorted:

• B12:
  • Vegan Society RDA: 3 mcg (micrograms) per day from fortified foods, or 10mcg/day or 2000mcg/week from supplements. The less frequently you obtain B12 the more B12 you need to take.
  • Sources: The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, originates from micro-organisms. Animals in captivity need B12 supplements too.
  • Why: B12 deficiency can cause neurological complications and tingling sensations or numbness. Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimise potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications. In the wild, we apes get it from accidental consumption of insects and faeces.
• Vitamin D:
  • RDA: 15mcg per day
  • Sources: D2 fortified foods (such as some margarines and plant milks) or supplements in 6 Winter months (or a winter sun holiday), and regular daylight exposure in Summer. Note that D3 is of animal origin, so go for D2 and Summer sunlight instead.
  • Why: essential for bone and general health, and in northern latitudes it is only created by the action of sun on the skin during Summer months.
• Iodine:
  • RDA: 150 mcg/day, and don't over-do it
  • Sources: Frequent addition of small amounts of powdered or crumbled seaweed to cooking or as a condiment, or an iodine supplement.
  • Why: the UK and USA have low-iodine soils, and so their populations are particularly at risk. Low iodine can lead to hypothyroidism (myxedema), and like B12 deficiency, can also cause nerve damage, tingling sensations and elevated homocysteine and cholesterol. Excessive iodine can cause hyperthyroidism, which may manifest as an enlarged thyroid (goitre), heart rate irregularities, tremor, sweating, palpitations, nervousness and increased activity and eye abnormalities.
• Selenium:
  • RDA: 100 mcg/day (= 10 brazil nuts per week)
  • Sources: brazil nuts or supplements.
  • Why: the UK and Ireland have low-Selenium soils, and so their populations are particularly at risk. Low selenium decreases immunity and may be associated with cancer, whilst too much can be toxic.
• Essential Fatty Acids(Omegas / Polyunsaturated fatty acids):
  • RDA: 2.5g of ALNA (Omega 3) per day (= 1tsp flax oil, or 1.5 Tbsp ground flax seed)
  • Sources: concentrate on Omega 3 sources, as Omega 6 will look after itself in a healthy vegan diet. Flaxseed oil contains twice as much Omega 3 as is found in fish oil, and is less prone to pollution! Alternatively try ground flax seed sprinkled on food such as cereal, and also introduce hemp seed products, avocado oil and walnut oil. Soya is also rich in omega 3.
  • Why: important for maintaining the membranes of all cells; for making prostaglandins which regulate many body processes which include inflammation and blood clotting. Another requirement for fat in the diet is to enable the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K to be absorbed from food; and for regulating body cholesterol metabolism. Especially important for pregnant and lactating women, and growing children.
• Other nutrients are widely available from vegan foods, but it's certainly worth knowing more about those which often come up, so you can dispel unnecessary fears, particularly on iron, zinc, calcium, and protein

Supplements

Views on supplements vary widely. It's a good idea to try to get as many nutrients as possible from food sources, as these bring other benefits. Studies seem to show that nutrients in food have far greater benefits than those separated out in supplements. However, supplements may be necessary if you can't find an adequate food source of a key nutrient.

Single nutrient supplements aiming at ideal levels and avoiding overdose are the best bet, and if you eat well and consider the above advice you are likely to only need to supplement with B12 all year and vitamin D in the winter months. Count yourself lucky you are not a meat- and cheese-eater having to compensate for a diet full of damaging content!

B12 comes in tablet, powder or liquid form. The liquid and powder forms are more easily absorbed, and hte powder can be sprinkled in food of babies and toddlers. For example products see Revital and Seek Natural. Kids often particluarly like the tasty blackcurrant Just Vitamins B12. Check individual products are vegan wherever you look.

Vegan multivitamins do exist, though nutritionists and dieticians we have spoken to are somewhat wary of multivitamins in general. Floravital liquid nutritients by Salix however gets a thumbs up, and is also suitable for children too. However it does not contain vitamin D, so do cover this separately. Veg1 tablets, commissioned and sold by the Vegan Society, are also available, being a cheap solution which does cover vitamin D. However they were not designed by a nutritionist, and do not necessarily make the most of how the body works. These tablets are also suitable for children, taking one every other day.

Reading more

It can really help you, your family and those you meet to be well read on nutrition, whether you are vegan or not. Try these excellent sources of information for starters:

general nutrition key information:

nutrition chart by Liz Cook

• The nutritional reference chart (Liz Cook) in your kitchen or classroom is both really pretty and very handy day to day.
• The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation's handy FAQ, fact sheets and more on nutrition
• The Vegan Society website is a good source of in depth info on all vegan nutritional issues
• Milk and bones - the facts: large-scale scientific studies, even those funded by the dairy industry, indicate that milk consumption does not reduce ostaeoporosis, and may even increase it.

children and pregnancy:

• Veggie nutrition for kids
• Feeding your vegan infant - with confidence - an invaluable book by Sandra Hood
• nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding

information for health professionals:

• Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation guides for health professionals

special interest:

• Obesity and weight loss - the VVF Globesity Report (pdf download)

• raw food diet advice.

Author: Sophie Fenwick-Paul

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Story posted by on 2005-11-29 11:04:16.

Story last updated by on 2012-02-21 10:40:54.

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