Seven nutrients vegans don’t get from plants but are essential for diet

Both vegetarian and vegan diets are relatively healthy eating patterns. However, some nutrients are either difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts from plant foods or must be consumed as supplements. It is crucial to be aware of them and add supplements to your diet in order to preserve your health. Here are seven nutrients that both vegetarians and vegans can include in their diets.

Vitamin B12 

Nearly all meals derived from animals such as fish, meat, dairy products and eggs include the vital ingredient vitamin B12. Hence, vegan vitamin B12 supplements are recommended for people who follow a vegan diet. Bioactive vitamin B12 is naturally present in trace amounts in a few plant foods: Shiitake mushrooms, Tempeh (a fermented soy product) and nori seaweed being some more examples.

Creatine 

Animal-based meals include the chemical creatine, the majority of which gets stored in muscles and the brain also holds a sizable amount of it. Creatine must be obtained from supplements for vegetarians and vegans because it is naturally found only in animal tissue.

Carnosine

Animals and humans both have high concentration of the antioxidant carnosine in their muscles and brains. Enhancing muscle carnosine levels with beta-alanine is a wonderful strategy to boost muscular strength and endurance.

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 

Also known as sunshine nutrient, the animal-sourced vitamin D3 is more potent at increasing blood levels of vitamin D than the plant-based vitamin D2. Vegetarians and vegans may have a higher risk of vitamin D3 deficiency, particularly in the winter. 

D-hydroxyethyl acetate (DHA) 

DHA is a crucial omega-3 fatty acid discovered in fish oil and fatty fish and helps in healthy brain growth and operation. Additionally, it can be found in microalgae, a healthy food choice for vegetarians and vegans.

Heme iron

Found in meat, particularly red meat, this is a kind of iron that is considerably better absorbed than non-heme iron from plant foods such as legumes, beans, nuts, olives, oats and so on. A well-planned vegan diet with a lot of non-heme iron, makes it simple to avoid iron deficiency.

Taurine

The body uses taurine, a sulphur chemical, for a variety of purposes. It is only naturally present in foods made from animal sources, but also sold as a synthetic supplement.

If you are following a vegan diet, don't forget to include these seven nutrients in your diet for the healthful functioning of your mind, heart and body.