8 Essential Supplements You Should Take if You're Vegan Some essential vitamins and minerals aren't easily found in plant-based foods. If you follow a plant-based diet, you can fill in any nutritional gap with these essential supplements.

Source: 8 Essential Supplements You Should Take if You're Vegan
Some essential vitamins and minerals aren't easily found in plant-based foods. If you follow a plant-based diet, you can fill in any nutritional gap with these essential supplements.

A offers many health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, and protection from some cancers. Despite these benefits, there are a few things to consider when adopting a vegan diet.

For example, vegans are more likely to be deficient in key nutrients like vitamin B-12, zinc, and calcium — all of which play important roles in the body. Recent research has found that, on average, vegans only get about 10% to 20% of the recommended amount of vitamin B-12 per day.

However, vegans can avoid these nutritional deficiencies by consuming the right combination of nutrient-dense foods and supplements. We’ve compiled eight of the most important minerals and vitamins for vegans to help you create a balanced, healthy diet. You’ll also learn what to look for in vegan vitamins to supplement your nutrient intake.

Vitamin B12

Recommended daily dose: 2.4 micrograms per day.

Vitamin B-12 performs several important functions in the body, including the production of DNA and red blood cells, and nerve function. The human body cannot produce this vitamin, so most people rely on animal products (like meat and dairy) to get their recommended intake of vitamin B-12. As a result, vegans are more likely to develop vitamin B-12 deficiency than meat eaters.

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Symptoms

• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• Blurred vision
• Numbness and tingling in hands and feet
• digestive problems
• dizziness or weakness
• depression
• mood swings
• memory loss

Foods rich in vitamin B-12

It can be difficult for vegans to find foods rich in vitamin B-12 since it is primarily found in animal products. However, food manufacturers that cater to plant-based eaters often add B-12 to their products, e.g. B. fortified breakfast cereals, nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk and tofu.

iron

Recommended daily dose: 8 milligrams for men over the age of 19 and adults under the age of 51, or 18 milligrams for women between the ages of 19 and 51.

Iron is a mineral that helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It is also used to create certain hormones and aids in brain development in children. Although iron is found in both animal and plant-based foods, vegans need to consume almost twice the recommended daily amount than their meat-eating counterparts. This is because the body has a harder time absorbing iron from plant sources, known as non-heme iron.

Symptoms of iron deficiency

• Weakness
• fatigue
• Cold hands and feet
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• Thin and brittle nails
• Cravings for nonfood items (like dirt or ice cream)

Iron rich foods

Iron is available in plant (non-heme) and animal (heme) sources. Vegans can get their daily iron fix by eating foods like beans, tofu, fortified cereal, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, spinach, broccoli, quinoa, nuts, and whole wheat pasta.

calcium

Recommended daily dose: 1,000 milligrams for adults under the age of 50, or 1,200 milligrams for women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 70.

Calcium is another mineral that helps with essential bodily functions. Importantly, calcium is important for bone health, blood flow, and the release of hormones. It also keeps your muscles and teeth strong. Vegans often struggle to get enough calcium from diet alone, since it’s primarily found in dairy products.

Calcium deficiency symptoms

• memory loss
• confusion
• Numbness and tingling in hands, feet and face
• muscle cramps
• depression
• Thin, brittle nails
• Easily breakable bones

Foods rich in calcium

The average American gets most of their calcium from milk, cheese, and yogurt. Vegans should look to plant-based calcium sources like chia seeds, soy milk, tofu, almonds, kale, broccoli, and arugula.

Vitamin D

Recommended daily dose: 600 international units for adults up to 70 years of age or 800 IU for adults over 70 years of age.

Unlike the other vitamins and minerals on this list, your body can make vitamin D—but it needs sunlight to do it. However, vitamin D deficiency is very common, with 42% of American adults not getting the recommended daily amount. Although vitamin D is found in certain foods like fish and eggs, many of these foods are not compatible with a vegan diet. As a result, it can be difficult for non-meat eaters to meet recommended intakes unless they get it in the form of vitamins or from direct sunlight.

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

• bone pain
• fatigue
• Muscle weakness, cramps or pain
• Mood swings like depression

Foods rich in vitamin D

In addition to getting sunlight a few times a week, vegans can include certain foods in their diet to get enough vitamin D. These foods include mushrooms, fortified cereal, and fortified beverages such as orange juice, soy milk, and rice milk.

zinc

Recommended daily dose: 8 milligrams for adult women or 11 milligrams for adult men.

Zinc is an essential nutrient that supports several key functions including your body’s development and growth, immune response, wound healing and blood clotting. Since your body cannot produce or store zinc, it is important to look for zinc-rich foods or take supplements to help you meet your recommended daily allowance. Unfortunately, most foods that contain zinc are not suitable for vegans, so people who eat a plant-based diet often have lower zinc levels than meat eaters.

Symptoms of zinc deficiency

• slow growth
• Impaired immune function
• skin lesions
• impotence
• hair loss
• Diarrhea
• Delayed wound healing
• taste abnormalities

Zinc rich foods

Animal products like fish, poultry, and meat are the most common sources of zinc. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can get zinc from foods like legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, mushrooms, kale, and asparagus.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Recommended daily dose: 500 milligrams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) combined; Adequate intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is 1.6 grams for adult males and 1.1 grams for adult females.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that help with heart health, regulate blood pressure, and reduce inflammation in your body. There are three main types: DHA, EPA and ALA. DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids are the most important types and are found primarily in fish, so it can be difficult for vegans to get enough through diet alone.

Symptoms of a lack of omega-3 fatty acids

• Dry, itchy skin
• Increased acne
• depression
• Dry eyes
• vision problems
• Stiff or painful joints
• Thin or dry hair

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Fatty and oily fish like salmon, herring and mackerel are the greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. However, since they are not suitable for vegans, people on a plant-based diet can get their daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seed, seaweed, walnuts, soybeans and Brussels sprouts.

iodine

Recommended daily dose: 150 micrograms for adults

Iodine is a mineral that the body uses to make thyroid hormones, which help with metabolism and cell repair. It occurs naturally in some foods, in the soil, and is added to certain table salts. About a third of the world’s population suffers from iodine deficiency – with vegans at higher risk than meat eaters.

iodine deficiency symptoms

• Swollen throat (known as a goiter)
• weight gain
• fatigue
• Weakness
• hair loss
• Dry skin
• Freeze
• Slow heartbeat
• learning disabilities
• Heavier or irregular menstrual flow

Foods rich in iodine

Like most of the other minerals on this list, iodine is found primarily in animal products like fish, eggs, and dairy. For vegans, iodine-rich options include seaweed, lima beans, prunes, and iodized table salt.

vitamin k

Recommended daily dose: 90 micrograms for women or 120 micrograms for men

Vitamin K supports blood clotting and protects against excessive bleeding. It comes in two forms: vitamin K1, found in certain vegetables and vegetable oils, and vitamin K2, found in animal products and fermented foods. There are fewer vegan-friendly foods that are naturally rich in vitamin K2, so vegans should make sure to get enough through supplements or fermented products.

Vitamin K Deficiency Symptoms

• heavy bleeding
• Light bruising
• Blood clots under the nails
• Dark and bloody stool

Foods rich in vitamin K

People on a plant-based diet can get vitamin K1 from leafy greens and vegetables like kale, spinach, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. You can get vitamin K2 from fermented foods like natto (a fermented soybean dish), vegan sauerkraut, kimchi, and non-dairy kefir.

Too long, haven’t read?

Sticking to a plant-based diet is an effective way to protect yourself from certain illnesses and diseases. However, if you’re vegan, it’s important to watch your vitamin and mineral intake to ensure you’re getting your recommended daily intake of these eight essential nutrients. If you can’t get the recommended amount from food alone, you can consider taking vegan vitamins and supplements to increase your nutrient intake.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions about a medical condition or health goals.

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