- Hey, it's Mic the Vegan here for LIVEKINDLY.
And today, we're going to explore
all of the vitamins and nutrients
you might need on a vegan diet.
My channel will be linked in the description below
and please feel free to like the video,
subscribe to LIVEKINDLY if you haven't
and share your thoughts down below.
To put things into perspective,
nearly 10% of Americans have nutritional deficiencies
according to the CDC.
And in the UK, according to the National Health Service,
malnutrition is a common problem that affects millions.
The best way to get vitamins and minerals
into our body is through food
but that's not always as easy as it sounds.
Diet, food quality, and genetics
all play a role in how well we absorb nutrients.
It's also complicated by the nutrient profiles of our foods.
Vegetables grown decades ago were richer
in vitamins and minerals than they are today
but a number of factors have
caused nutrient contents to decline.
Rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere
can change the overall chemical composition in plants
and lead to lower concentrations of important
vitamins and minerals.
There's also soil erosion,
which is caused by intensive agricultural processes.
This has led to nutrient loss in staple crops
such as grains and beans.
A 2004 study from the University of Texas
looked at data from the US Department of Agriculture
between 1950 and 1999,
they found declines in the amount of protein,
calcium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin B2, and vitamin C
in 43 different fruits and vegetables.
But it's not just crops that have changed,
diets have too.
The standard American diet began in the mid-1900s.
Calorie rich and nutrient poor foods were mass produced
and easily accessible.
Nowadays, processed foods are everywhere.
Processed food joints are on every corner,
selling burgers loaded with bacon and cheese
and fries and sugary soft drinks.
These types of foods can pose serious health risks
including the absence of key nutrients.
And while the nutrient quality of fruits and vegetables
has declined over time,
a balanced, whole food, plant-based diet
is still one of the best, healthiest ways to eat.
If you're concerned about whether or not
you are getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals
in your diet, first, consult your primary care physician.
But if you're interested in supplementing,
here are 11 to consider.
Number one, vitamin B12.
Not getting enough vitamin B12
can have devastating consequences for your health.
Symptoms include paralysis, psychosis, blindness,
nervous system damage and even death.
Depending on the stores you have in your liver,
it can take several years until a B12 deficiency manifests.
Anyone who doesn't eat a balanced diet
or supplement, not just vegans are at risk
of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
In fact, a somewhat recent study out of Switzerland
found no statistically significant in B12 deficiency rates
between vegans and people that eat meat.
The research has pointed to fortified foods
and vitamin B12 supplementation.
And every adult should be getting 2.4 micrograms per day
and the National Institute of Health in the US
recommends taking a B12 supplement which is vegan-friendly.
Multivitamin tablets and gummies are abundant choices
but supplements are also available in spray or lozenge form.
B12 can also be found in shiitake mushrooms,
fortified cereal, fortified nutritional yeast,
and fortified dairy free milks.
Number two, vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium, magnesium, and phosphate
which are nutrients that help keep your bones, teeth,
and muscles healthy.
It also helps your body in other ways,
improving brain development, as well as heart
and muscle function.
And even helps with your immune system.
Meat eaters and vegans both find it difficult
to get enough vitamin D.
According to the National Health Service in the UK,
about one in five people are vitamin D deficient
which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, depression,
muscle soreness and other symptoms as well.
Every day, adults should be getting
10 micrograms of vitamin D.
Mushrooms that are labeled as such,
fortified dairy-free milks, tofu, and orange juice
are all good sources of vitamin D.
The body also creates it through sun exposure
and the recommended amount by experts is 10 to 15 minutes
of peak sun exposure,
though in northern climates during the winter,
that does not work.
There are also many vegan vitamin D supplements
on the market, major UK health chain, Holland & Barrett,
offers mushroom-based vitamin D supplements
and mykind organics, founded by vegan actor,
Alicia Silverstone offers vegan vitamin D supplements
in chew and spray and tablet forms.
Number three, calcium.
Children are often told they need to drink cows milk
and eat dairy products in order to grow up big and strong.
This is because dairy is rich in calcium
which is essential for bone health
but the majority of humans throughout history
did not consume milk to get their calcium.
According to a 2017 study published in the journal
of The Lancet, more than 65% of the world
is likely lactose intolerant
but it is possible to get
more than enough calcium from plants.
Soy milk is rich in calcium,
as are dark leafy greens, tofu, tempeh,
almonds, orange juice, figs, chickpeas, and poppy seeds.
Everyday, you should be getting 700 milligrams of calcium.
As for supplementation,
there are plenty of vegan supplements on the market
but according to the American Heart Association Journal,
"Calcium supplementation may increase the risk
"for incident coronary artery disease."
This is possibly from spiking blood calcium
which could harden plaques in the arteries.
So if you wanna take a calcium supplement,
talk to your primary care physician
about the best options first.
They may recommend slow release calcium
and taking smaller doses more often
with meals to slow absorption
or eating calcium rich foods such as calcium-set tofu.
- Number four, iron.
Iron is a mineral that helps with
the proper function of hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is a protein that transports oxygen in the blood.
When humans do not have enough iron,
they are at risk of anemia.
Iron deficiency isn't exclusive to vegans.
Around 10 million people in the US have low iron levels.
Middle dose over 18 should be getting 8.7 milligrams
of iron a day.
For women age 19 to 50, the recommended daily amount
is 14.8 milligrams.
For women over 50, it's 8.7 milligrams a day.
Vegan foods rich in iron include
dark leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts, and dried fruits.
If you're concerned about your iron levels,
you should discuss with your doctor,
as supplementing too much can be dangerous.
If your doctor recommends you supplement iron,
there are plenty of options available.
Many iron supplements are made with animal-derived heme
but there are a number of vegan iron tablets
and liquid supplements on the market.
Number five, choline.
Choline was discovered relatively recently.
It was acknowledged as a required nutrient in 1998
by the Institute of Medicine.
Our livers make small amounts of choline
but predominately, we get it from our diet.
It's technically neither a vitamin nor a mineral.
It's similar to the vitamin B complex.
Choline helps with brain development.
It's also important for liver function,
metabolism and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
Some nutritionist believe that people following
a plant-based diet should consider opting for supplements
to boost their intake of choline
and you can easily find vegan supplements online.
However, overdoing choline supplementation
could come with some risks
because it is metabolized in the gut
into a compound called TMAO or trimethylamine N-oxide
which may contribute to heart disease.
The vegan gut doesn't perform this conversion
until you give it choline supplements
and this phenomenon may contribute
to the vegan heart advantage.
In fact, from this study,
choline supplementation increase blood platelet aggregation
or blood cell stickiness
and TMAO levels in vegans,
neither of which are ideal.
Thankfully, there are a number of vegan food sources
of choline including quinoa, mushrooms, beans,
peanut butter, broccoli, and tofu.
- Number six, omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids
that are essential for health.
There are three important omega-3 fatty acids
to know about when discussing human physiology.
Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA
and docosahexaenoic acid of DHA
are usually found in marine oils.
While alpha-linolenic acid or ALA
is commonly found in plants.
Mammals including humans can't make their own
short-chain omega-3s,
so they must get them from their diet.
ALA is the most common fatty acid found in food.
The other two are more difficult to find in plant sources.
However, the body can use ALA to create the long chain EPA,
a process that takes place mostly in the liver.
EPA then can be used to create DHA,
which many hail as the most important fatty acid.
Some foods are fortified with EPA and DHA
so that the body does not have to complete
the long-chain process.
Research suggests omega-3s could benefit mental health,
eye health, heart health, brain health,
and prevent inflammation.
Vegan sources of omega-3 include walnut,
chia seeds, flax seed, brussel sprouts,
algae oil, wild rice, plant oils and tofu.
There are a variety of omega-3 supplements in the market.
Myprotein offers vegan omega-3 softgels
and Together Health makes it's
vegan fish-free supplements from algae.
And you can even get these fatty acids in vegan tuna.
Good Catch makes a shelf stable vegan tuna
loaded with healthy omegas.
Number seven, vitamin A.
Vitamin A helps with vision, the immune system
and the reproductive system.
There are two different types,
preformed vitamin A found in meat, chicken, fish and dairy
and provitamin A found in fruit, vegetables
and other plant-based foods.
Vitamin A is found in a number of common foods.
A quarter of a carrot meets the daily requirement
and one cup of sweet potatoes is 1600% of your daily value.
In addition, a recent Swiss study on vegan blood
found super low levels of vitamin A deficiency.
Provitamin A can be found in many supplements
including vegan multivitamins.
To get enough vitamin A from food,
you should eat a variety of fruit and vegetables,
including sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, and melon.
Everyday, men should aim to get 0.7 milligrams of vitamin A
and women should aim for 0.6 milligrams.
Number eight, iodine.
Iodine is important for healthy thyroid function.
The thyroid controls the body's metabolism.
If you're deficient in iodine,
this can lead to hypothyroidism.
A condition where your body does not produce
enough thyroid hormones.
Vegans typically are at lower risk
of developing hypothyroidism though.
And soil quality affects the iodine content
in plant-based foods.
Crops grown closer to the ocean may have more iodine.
So good vegan sources are iodine salt and seaweed.
If you can't get your hands on these,
you should consider supplementing.
Natures Garden offers a sea kelp supplement
and Weed and Wonderful's Organic Scottish Seaweed Capsules
are a natural source of iodine.
Many multivitamins also contain iodine.
Adults need 0.14 milligrams of iodine a day.
Number nine, zinc.
Zinc is vital for our immune system.
It helps fight off bacteria and viruses
and helps to heal wounds.
It also helps with the sense of smell and taste.
If the body doesn't get enough zinc,
this can lead to a number of conditions
including hair loss, impaired immune function,
diarrhea, impotence, delayed healing of wounds
and loss of taste.
Good vegan sources of zinc include whole grains,
legumes, nuts, seeds and tofu.
Every day, male adults need 9.5 milligrams of zinc
and women need seven milligrams.
If you're not getting enough zinc,
you can opt for supplement.
Garden of Life offers vegan zinc supplements,
as does, Holland & Barrett and MYPROTEIN.
Number 10, vitamin K.
Vitamin K helps to produce prothrombin
which helps blood to clot.
It also helps with bone metabolism.
It's found in plants.
So if you're eating enough fruits and vegetables,
you shouldn't have to worry with supplementation.
Adults need approximately one microgram
of vitamin K a day for every kilogram of their body weight.
If you're struggling to get enough,
some multivitamins do include vitamin K
and Garden of Life, NOW Foods,
and Natures Plus offer supplements.
Number 11, selenium.
Selenium is important for metabolism and thyroid function.
It can boost the immune system.
Deficiency in selenium can cause male infertility,
fatigue, hair loss and a weakened immune system.
Plant-based sources of selenium include brazil nuts,
sunflower seeds and shiitake mushrooms.
Adult males need 0.075 milligrams of selenium a day
and adult women need 0.06 milligrams.
A number of vegan brands offer vegan selenium supplements
including Wise Owl Health and Cytoplan.
All right, let us know down below
if you have any favorite nutrient-rich foods
to get these nutrients
or if you have any favorite supplement brands.
Let us know in the comments below
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New videos every Tuesday and Friday.
Thank you for watching.