You've probably asked yourself whether vegan supplements are useful, necessary, or rather superfluous. We'll show you all potentially critical nutrients and how you can prevent a deficiency. You'll also learn more reasons for vegan supplements.
Critical Nutrients in a Vegan Diet
People who eat a vegan diet do not consume animal products. Therefore, their food choices are limited. To prevent potential deficiencies, a balanced diet should be maintained. However, even then, the supply of some nutrients is critical or even concerning. Here is a list of potentially critical nutrients with their corresponding food sources.
Proteins
Here, the amino acid distribution plays a significant role. Therefore, aim for as many different protein sources as possible. Particularly suitable are:
- Legumes like peas, lentils, but also soy products
- Potatoes
- Whole grains
- Nuts and oilseeds
- Quinoa
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Certain fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) are hardly absorbed in a vegan diet. Conversion from other omega-3 fatty acids, such as those from nuts or rapeseed oil, is also only possible to a limited extent.
- Microalgae oil
- Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils (however, these do not provide EPA or DHA)
Vitamin D
The vitamin can also be formed in the skin through sun exposure. However, this synthesis is not sufficient to meet the body's needs.
- Edible mushrooms such as button mushrooms or chanterelles
- Foods fortified with vitamin D or vegan supplements
- Caution: Avocado does not contain Vitamin D. This was often claimed in the past due to an error in the German Food Code.
Riboflavin
Also known as Vitamin B2. It is found mainly in animal foods. Therefore, it should receive increased attention in a vegan diet.
- Nuts and oilseeds
- Legumes
- Certain vegetables such as kale or broccoli
- Whole grains
Vitamin B12
Experts recommend supplements for a vegan diet, as the vitamin is only found in animal foods. Although it also occurs during bacterial fermentation, such as in sauerkraut production, the amounts are too small. Furthermore, it is not yet known whether the form of Vitamin B12 contained can be processed by the human body.
- Foods fortified with vitamin B12 or vegan supplements
Calcium
In individual cases, a calcium deficiency has been observed in a vegan diet.
- Calcium-rich mineral water
- Certain vegetables such as broccoli, kale, or arugula
- Nuts
- Legumes
Iron
Along with plant-based iron, vitamin C should be consumed, as it improves iron availability.
- Whole grains
- Nuts, kernels, or seeds, especially pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and pistachios
- Pseudocereals such as amaranth or quinoa
- Certain vegetables such as spinach or salsify
Iodine
Not only vegans can have difficulties with sufficient iodine intake, as all of Germany is an iodine-deficient area. Caution is advised with algae, as the iodine content can vary greatly. This can be harmful in certain thyroid diseases.
- Table salt fortified with iodine
- Sea salt fortified with sea algae
- Occasional consumption of sea algae such as Nori algae
Zinc
Fermentation, for example by sourdough, improves bioavailability.
- Whole grains
- Sourdough bread
- Legumes
- Nuts
Selenium
The selenium content of plant foods is highly dependent on the growing region.
- Cabbage vegetables such as broccoli or white cabbage
- Onion vegetables such as onions or garlic
- Edible mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Legumes
Are Vegan Supplements Useful?
Among the critical nutrients, some can be covered by a varied and balanced diet. These include, for example, proteins. Other nutrient recommendations, such as those for vitamin D, B vitamins, and iron, are difficult to achieve even with a healthy food selection. Therefore, it may be useful to supplement these in the form of capsules.
Vitamin B12 plays a special role, because with a vegan diet, a deficiency will always occur over a longer period. Supplements enriched with vitamin B12 are therefore recommended. As with any vegan supplement, you should also pay attention to the best quality here. Production in Germany, quality standards, no animal testing, and so on are important indicators for this.
Reasons for Vegan Supplements
Not only the diet itself makes vegan supplements indispensable. There are also other reasons for the production of products without animal ingredients. For example, stress, pregnancy, sports, or medication can increase nutrient requirements.
For people who eat a purely plant-based diet, a vegan alternative to conventional supplements is necessary. By the way, these products are also particularly suitable for vegetarians. Conventional tablets or capsules can be produced with gelatin. If these are vegan, the animal product is certainly not included.
If, for example, an iron deficiency is detected through a medical examination, then iron supplements specifically for vegans, which are additionally enriched with vitamin C, are necessary.
In the absence of sunlight, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) generally recommends an additional intake of vitamin D through supplements. Therefore, special supplements for vegans also make sense here.
There are many other reasons and circumstances where it is necessary to improve nutrient supply through supplementation:
- Do you wish for more vitality,
- do you want to boost your metabolism,
- protect your cells from damage
- or lead a more relaxed life?
Then supplements can help you with this. You can also find products specifically for these requirements in our shop – naturally 100 percent vegan and without animal testing.
Cleverly Supplement Your Vegan Diet with Supplements
With a vegan lifestyle, you don't have to supply every potentially critical nutrient through vegan supplements. Pay attention to a colorful, varied, and diverse food selection.
Only vitamin B12 is a must as a vegan capsule. In special life situations, in case of a deficiency, or lack of sun exposure, vegan supplements are also useful. Listen to your body and check for yourself whether further supplements make sense for you and how you can optimize your body.
Sources:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24667752/
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/vitamin-d/
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/faqs/vegane-ernaehrung/?L=0#c2895
All our articles are written by nutritionists and checked for content quality by subject matter experts.
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