Following my well-received blog about vitamin B12 last month (thank you to everyone who got in touch about it!) here comes a post about how to be a “healthy vegan” long-term, with a focus on nutrition.
One of my biggest points is that following a vegan diet doesn’t automatically mean following a healthy diet. There are lots of unhealthy and ultra-processed vegan (and vegetarian) foods on the market, and switching from for example a grass-fed / organic animal product to a processed vegan replacement can actually do more harm than good.
There is a mind-boggling amount of information – often conflicting and misleading – out there, and whilst it is true that you can get enough protein and iron from non-animal sourced foods you need to be aware of a few factors when it comes to absorption or availability. Let’s look at some of the facts below.
What does vegan mean?
Most people know what vegan means, but here is the definition by The Vegan Society just to recap:
“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”
Vegans follow a purely plant-based diet, avoiding all animal foods such as meat and fish, dairy, eggs, honey and insects, as well as products like leather and anything tested on animals like toiletries for example. Vegan diets typically include all kinds of fruit and vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, beans and pulses.
Veganism = big business
The popularity of veganism continues to rise, with more and more people embracing a plant-based diet and brands and businesses coming up with new products and offerings.
Supermarket chains in the UK are stocking lots of vegan options to keep up with consumers’ food choices, and fast-food companies continue to launch and promote their vegan options.
It’s worth remembering that not all of these have our best health interests in mind, and vegan food can be junk food too!
Nutrients to be aware of if following a strict vegan diet
Apart from vitamin B12 it is possible to get a sufficient intake all of all essential nutrients from a plant-based diet, but sometimes it requires some extra planning as well as awareness.
I mention “bio-available” a few times below – this basically refers to the ability of the substance to be absorbed and used by the body.
Protein
A lot of the typical protein food sources come from animals, and many plant sources are incomplete proteins and with a lower digestibility.
Vegans can however get enough protein and all the required amino acids (the different building blocks of the protein) by consuming a variety of protein from different plant sources
Protein-rich foods from non-animal sources include nuts, chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas. They don’t contain all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts and are therefore classified as “incomplete proteins”.
Tempeh and quinoa however are complete proteins – a cup of cooked quinoa provides over 8g of protein (alongside plenty of fibre, magnesium, phosphorous and folate).
We also don’t need to consume all proteins at each meal as the body can store amino acids, and – very cleverly- it can “mix and match” amino acids from our pools of free amino acids depending on our requirements.
Iron
There are lots iron-rich foods from plant sources, including lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, quinoa, dark chocolate, dried apricots and figs, and more.
It’s important to be aware though that iron from food comes in two forms: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is found only in animal flesh (meat, poultry and seafood) whilst non-heme iron is found in plant foods as well as in animal flesh, and fortified foods.
Heme iron is better absorbed by the body than non-heme iron, and there are certain factors that can affect the absorption of non-heme iron.
It’s recommended to consume some vitamin C alongside your iron-rich food to help your body absorb the iron (add some strips of red pepper or drizzle some lemon juice / lemon vinaigrette over your dish for example), and avoid drinking coffee or black tea with meals as this affects the iron absorption. Bran fibre, large amounts of calcium (particularly from supplements), and plant substances like phytates and tannins can inhibit the absorption of non-heme iron.
Calcium
Getting enough calcium on a vegan diet is generally no problem as calcium is widely available in many foods, and not just in milk or dairy products as widely believed.
Good food sources include leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts (especially almonds), and edamame beans for example. Tofu is often coagulated with calcium, and some foods are also fortified with this mineral.
The bioavailabilty of calcium varies, and the amount that a food contains and shows on the nutrition facts on the label is not necessarily the amount the body will absorb. Whilst dairy milk has a higher calcium content its bioavailability is only about 30% absorption – bok choy on the other side has a lower calcium content but a higher bioavailability of 50%, so eating one cup of cooked bok choy has almost as much bioavailable calcium as one cup of milk.
To further complicate things though some plant foods contain “anti-nutrients” which bind to calcium and decrease its bioavailablity. Spinach is a typical example as it is high in calcium but also high in oxalates, resulting in a bioavailability of only 5%. This doesn’t mean that you should not consume spinach as it is high in lots of other nutrients, just make sure it’s not your main source of calcium intake and avoid eating spinach alongside other calcium-rich foods.
Omega-3
A number of plant foods do contain the essential fatty acid omega-3, but in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This means the body needs to convert it to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) before it can be utilised by your body for something other than energy, and this conversion isn’t a very efficient process with only a small % of ALA being converted to EPA (and even less into DHA).
If ALA is not converted to EPA or DHA, it is simply stored or used as energy like other fats.
Sources of ALA include chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, seed oils. The best source of EPA is oily (fatty) fish like mackerel, sardines and herring – although not suitable for vegans of course.
Omega-3 fatty acids are vital components of cell membranes, and essential for our wellbeing and for many functions in our body – including mood and brain health. It’s worth keeping an eye on your omega-3 status as a vegan.
Read my blog about essential fatty acids here if you want further details.
Zinc
Plant foods contain abundant amounts of Zinc, but it needs to be noted that it is not as bioavailable as in foods from animal sources.
Seeds and legumes for example contain phytic acids which can interfere with absorption. In order to unlock their nutrient power it is recommended to soak the nuts, legumes or grains which helps remove the phytates.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a hugely important vitamin which helps keep the body’s nervous system and blood cells healthy and is involved in the synthesis of DNA and the energy metabolism – to name just four key functions.
Due to the fact that it mainly comes from animal foods, it is crucial that vegans are aware of their vitamin B12 status, and that of their children.
The body stores B12 in the liver, so any deficiencies might take years to develop. This explains why “new” vegans often feel well for a couple of years but then start experiencing symptoms of deficiency for seemingly inexplicable reasons – this could be because the body has used up all of the stored B12.
This blog post contains a lot more info about vitamin B12, its role, functions, signs and symptoms of deficiency and food sources.
Are vegans healthier and living longer?
A lot of studies have been done on this subject. And whilst a lot of the evidence points to vegans being healthier this needs to be looked at from a few angles.
Vegans are, generally, more aware of what they eat and put into their bodies, and many do stay away from processed foods which is a huge contributing factor to chronic disease and inflammation in the body. In addition to being health conscious they are often conscious about the environment and planet too, making many other healthier choices in their life – like for example biking to work or the shops rather than driving, or using natural toiletries. Often choosing to surround themselves with like-minded people they are part of a great and supportive community which gives them a real purpose – all major factors contributing to improved health and happiness.
I most certainly do not intend to stereo-type people following a vegan diet here, but for most people being vegan is a way of living rather than just a way of eating, and this often comes with many positives – with nutrition just one of the contributing factors.
Conclusion
Apart from vitamin B12, you can get all the nutrients your body needs but you need to understand what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan meal and you might have to be a little bit more organised.
Without planning or being aware of what your body needs you could miss out on essential nutrients – but this applies to a lot of people, no matter what diet they are on!
So the conclusion is:
- Be aware of your protein intake
- Be aware of the vitamins and minerals mentioned above
- Eat lots of fresh vegetables
- Limit the intake of processed or ready-made vegan foods with a long list of ingredients on the back
The fresher & the more wholesome = the better, and this is one of the keys to optimum health.
Stay healthy and keep well!
Carole x
