Are supplements vital with a plant-based diet?

Where to get your vitamins without eating animal products

When I first stopped eating animal products (around six years’ ago now), there was a lot of concern from well-meaning relatives, as well as people who had no clue about me, as to whether I’d be getting enough “goodness” from my diet.

Surely, without eating dairy, my bones would break more frequently. Without getting B12 and D from meat, I’d be losing out on vital cognitive and physical strength and agility. I’d go pale, stop working, probably die.

Well then imagine my horror then when I did break my toe. Not once, not twice, but thrice (do we even still use that word?) I mean, sure the back to back ultras may have had some bearing on it – even the fact that I’d switch to barefoot running – but undoubtably the main factor was that I was eating plants. Surely.

So on break number three I bowed down to pressure and had a little word with the consultant. “Why do my bones keep breaking? Is it because I’m a vegan?” He ordered a blood test, shrugged a bit, and said he’d let me know.

Well folks, my vitamin levels were exemplary – tip top D, B12, iron, calcium. Nothing to worry about, the breaks were just one of those things that comes with overuse. Nothing more.

When one of my meat-eating relatives then got diagnosed with low folic acid and B12, I was mildly smug. But it got me thinking about where we need to get these vits from, especially that elusive B12.

It’s true to say that vegans do need to be mindful that they’re being healthy and not processed-food-happy – it’s really easy to reach for the meat alternatives and sweet chemical laden overly processed food. But if you eat a balanced diet, you’ll get all the nutrition you need, if you know what to eat.

I’m not going to lie – I take supplements, three to be exact: I take a brand called Floradix, which comes in liquid and tablet form and kind of covers most bases; I take a calcium with K2 (not the mountain) tablet, and I take D3. So far, they’ve stood me in good stead and I’ve not broken bones for some time!

I’m no doctor, but here are some things I’ve learnt along the way about important vits, what they do and where you’ll find them. Below are a list of common ones that people seem to think vegans don’t get much of!

CALCIUM

This is the bones booster. Dairy eaters will get calcium through milk and cheese, and even eggs, but it’s found in green leafy veg, soya, and in fortified foods too – think bread and plant-based milk. Calcium is best absorbed when it’s taken with vitamin C, so rather than chug it back with your morning coffee which actually inhibits its absorption, take it with a glass of orange juice for a bigger punch.

Interestingly I was advised to take calcium with K2 because there is a small risk when you take calcium that it can build up and leave calcium deposits in arteries and blood vessels.

VITAMIN K2

This was a fairly new one to me. When I started taking calcium I was told K2 has an essential role in building and maintaining strong bones, but also stopping unwanted build up of excess calcium where you don’t want it. It comes in different forms such as MK4 or MK7 and I take it as a combined calcium/Vitamin K2 tablet.

VITAMIN A

Also known as retinol – think of all those skin care products with it in – vitamin A is found in foods with good levels of Beta Carotene. It’s great for fighting off infections and boosting the immune system, keeping your eye health tip-top, and also for healthy skin. You’ll find it widely in yellow, red and green leafy vegetables. The likes of carrots, red peppers and sweet potatoes, and also in fruits like mangoes, papayas, and apricots.

OMEGA 3

Omega 3 is a type of unsaturated fat which is great for heart health and prevents against strokes and heart disease. I used to get told repeatedly I should take fish oil when I was younger, because that seemingly was the only place I’d ever get Omega 3 from. It’s not true though, you can get Omega 3 from nuts and seeds, vegetable oil, and from green leafy veg. Again, the message is to eat a balanced diet, and you’ll be sure to get your fix.

ZINC

Zinc is a overall health champion, it reduces inflammation, helps to heal wounds, and boosts the immune system. Found in beans, tofu, walnuts, chickpeas, wholemeal bread and even that Waitrose-shopper’s favourite, quinoa, there’s plenty of it out there and if you’re eating properly you should get it in your diet no worries.

PROTEIN

My favourite – “how on earth do you get enough protein if you don’t eat meat?” Well, I just eat.

Tofu, tempeh, peanuts (good job I love peanut butter), edamame, potatoes, beans, the list goes on. Oh, and micro-protein which increasingly is used in the likes of meat substitutes and is essentially a fungus-based protein – think mushroom not mould!

Protein is essential for repairing muscles and when you are an endurance athlete it’s all the more important for repair and recovery. If you’re beasting yourself time and time again running or doing strength work in the gym, then it’s a good idea to throw a protein shake in with your daily intake to boost this important nutrient.

VITAMIN D

Mood boosting and essential for wellbeing, I’m pretty sure we all notice how our minds can slump during the winter months when the sun isn’t providing us with our daily dose of vitamin D. It’s important for retaining calcium and for guarding against inflammation. For a vegan, here’s one of those that it’s worth taking a supplement for. Mostly in the summer months we’ll get all the D we get from the sunlight on our skin and a sensible diet, but certainly in the winter it’s harder to come by.

It’s worth noting that some foods are also fortified with vitamin D, so can be available in some spreads.

B12

A lack of B12 or folate deficiency can lead to anaemia, general weakness and lethargy. The trouble with B12 is it’s one of those pesky vitamins that’s pretty hard to come by. B12 used to be more readily available when we didn’t religiously wash the soil off all our fruit and vegetables, as it’s found in traces in soil microbes. As a vegan, it’s worth taking a B12 supplement, and the NHS actually recommends it, because it’s much trickier to find it in your food.

IRON

Used for growth, and making haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries the oxygen around, an iron deficiency can come about if you’re not getting enough in your diet, or if you lose a lot of blood during your period. In order to stay in top working order and not feel fatigued and weak, you can find all the iron you need in your diet from the likes of nuts, kidney beans, dried fruits and fortified breakfast cereals.

To surmise, you can get pretty much all the nutrients you need from a well-balanced vegan diet – you can even run silly distances, as proved in an earlier post on Vegan Ultra Running. I’d seriously think about a D and B12 supplement, but this is all personal choice. And of course, ALWAYS seek the advice of a healthcare professional if you are thinking of changing your diet or worried about any health issues.