5 Important Nutrients for Plant Based Eaters

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5 Important Nutrients for Plant Based Eaters
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• Over recent years there has been an increasing
  trend towards adopting plant-based diets for
  various reasons including health, environmental
  and ethical reasons. Alongside this, one of the
  most common questions that pops up when telling
  people you are following a plant-based diet is
  how do you get all your nutrients?
• Although yes, you can get all the nutrients you
  need to thrive whilst on a plant-based diet,
  there are a few key ones that we need to pay a
  bit closer attention to as they can be harder to
  come by.

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• 1 Vitamin B12
• B12 is a water-soluble vitamin which is necessary
  for many actions in the body such as the
  development of new cells (particularly blood
  cells) as well as DNA synthesis and nervous
  system function. Prolonged B12 deficiency can be
  quite dangerous as it causes a type of anaemia
  called macrocytic anaemia. This causes abnormal
  blood cell development which can cause
  irreversible nerve damage when left untreated.
  Additionally, low B12 levels cause an increase in
  an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood.
  This is an issue as high homocysteine levels have
  been linked to an increased risk for heart
  disease, stroke, early death and Alzheimers
  disease.Sources B12 is the one nutrient on a
  plant-based diet which you cannot get sufficient
  amounts of from food alone. Whilst yes there are
  some plant-based products which may be fortified
  with B12 such as nutritional yeast and some plant
  milks and meat alternatives, due to variable
  vitamin content and low absorption rates by the
  body, these foods should not be relied on. There
  are also some plant foods such as mushrooms,
  tempeh, miso and sea vegetables which are often
  reported to provide some vitamin B12 due to their
  exposure to bacteria. However, it should be noted
  that there is no evidence that these are good or
  reliable sources of the vitamin either. Because
  of this, B12 supplementation is essential for all
  individuals on a plant-based diet throughout all
  life stages.

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• 2 Calcium
• Calcium is well known as a key building block for
  forming and maintaining strong bones and teeth
  however, it also has a few other important
  functions in the body. Calcium plays an important
  role in assisting muscle and nerve function
  including regulating a normal heart rhythm as
  well as helping out with blood clotting. If we
  dont consume enough calcium in diet, the body
  compensates by taking calcium from our bones.
  Over time this causes a weakening on the bones
  and decreased bone mass (osteopenia) and over
  time this can lead to osteoporosis.  
• Dairy products are widely accepted as one of the
  biggest contributors to calcium intake in the
  diet. Because most plant-based diets exclude
  dairy, this means we need to be a bit more
  mindful to make sure we are getting enough.
  Especially as calcium fortification of
  plant-based diary alternatives is not mandatory.
  However, aside from fortified dairy alternatives,
  there are a few other plant foods rich in calcium
  you can add to your diet.

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• Sources
• Fortified plant-based milk (look for 120mg
  calcium per 100mL)
• Fortified vegan cheese (Made with Plants brand is
  currently the only available option in Australia)
• Fortified non-dairy yoghurts (Cocobella pouches
  and Alpro) and soy yoghurt
• Calcium set tofu (look for agent 516 or calcium
  sulphate in ingredients list)
• Edamame and baked beans
• Kale, Asian greens and broccoli
• Chia seeds, almonds, sesame seeds and tahini

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•  3 Iron
• Iron is an essential mineral that has a range of
  important functions such as red blood cell
  formation to transport oxygen around the body,
  energy production, nerve function and immunity.
  Getting enough iron is important as deficiencies
  can cause a host of complications. Initially, low
  iron causes issues such as fatigue, dizziness and
  decreased immunity but long term deficiency can
  be more serious leading to anaemia. When left
  untreated, anaemia can cause serious implications
  such as heart problems.
• There is an abundance of plant-based foods rich
  in however, the iron in plant foods is not
  created equally to the iron found in
  animal-products. The iron found in animal-based
  foods such as red meat, eggs and poultry is
  called haem iron. This type of iron is much more
  readily absorbed by the body. On the other hand,
  non-haem iron, which is found in plant foods, is
  not very well absorbed by the body and the
  absorption rate is heavily impacted by other
  dietary components. To account for this, iron
  requirements for those following a plant-based
  diet are 1.8x higher. Luckily, there are a few
  dietary tips and tricks that can help optimise
  iron absorption. These include

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• Pairing iron rich foods with a source of vitamin
  C such as citrus, kiwi fruit, tomato or capsicum
  (this can increase absorption by up to 3 fold!)
• Keep tea and coffee 30mins away from iron rich
  meals (the tannins present in these drinks also
  inhibit absorption)
• Soak and rinse legumes before eating (this
  reduces phytate content which is another food
  component which blocks absorption)

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• Sources
• Tofu, tempeh, beans and legumes
• Wholegrains (especially amaranth)
• Nuts and seeds (in particular pumpkin, sesame,
  hemp and chia seeds as well as cashews)
• Some vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale, beet greens
  and white potato)
• Fortified products including Weebix, Plant-based
  Milo, some meat substitutes

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• 4 Zinc
• Zinc plays a key role in supporting normal growth
  and development during childhood, adolescence and
  pregnancy but also has vital roles during all
  life stages. Zinc is necessary for a wide range
  of processes in the body including immune
  function, wound healing, reproduction, cell
  growth and protein synthesis. Although zinc is
  abundant in many plant-based foods, it is
  slightly harder for our bodies to absorb it
  compared to the zinc found in meat. This is as
  there are a few other components such as phytates
  which are found in plant foods which can inhibit
  absorption. As such, all plant-based eaters have
  slightly higher zinc needs than our omnivorous
  counterparts. In fact, it is about 1.5x times as
  much.

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• Sources
• Tofu and beans/legumes (especially red kidney
  beans and lentils)
• Wholegrains including oats and grain bread
• Sundried tomato
• Pumpkin seeds, cashews and peanut butter
• Fortified products including Weetbix, Plant-based
  milo and some meat alternatives
• Tip Food-processing techniques such as the
  fermenting whole grains, soaking legumes and
  sprouting seeds and grains can help reduce
  phytate content and enhance absorption!

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• 5 Omega 3s
• Omega-3 is not technically a nutrient but
  actually one of our essential fatty acids. More
  specifically, omega-3s are a type of
  polyunsaturated fatty acid. Omega 3s have a
  myriad of health benefits throughout all stages
  of life including promoting improved brain
  function and mental health as well as offering
  prevention against heart disease, dementia and
  type 2 diabetes.
• Sources There are three types of omega 3 fats
  which are found in our food EPA, DHA and ALA.
  EPA and DHA are found most abundantly in oily
  fish whereas our omega 3 rich plant foods such as
  walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax seeds
  contain ALA. Whilst all 3 are considered types of
  omega-3 fatty acids, only DHA is used by the body
  to perform the above functions. We can make DHA
  from ALA however, this conversion process is
  very inefficient. In fact, only about 1-10 of
  dietary ALA is actually converted to DHA.
  Therefore we recommend adding an algae based
  vegan omega 3 supplement rich in DHA into the
  diet alongside our ALA rich nuts/seeds.

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• In Summary
• There are a number of nutrients that are
  important to consider on a plant based diet.
  However, when properly planned it is certainly
  possible to meet all your nutrient needs on a
  plant based, vegetarian or vegan diet. If you
  need some help with this, reach out to a
  specialist plant based dietitian from Plant
  Nutrition and Wellness who can teach you how to
  portion your meals, meet your nutrient needs and
  develop an individualised supplement plan.
• This article was co-written by Plant Based
  Dietitians from The PNW Clinic Kiah Paetz and
  Georgia DAndrea. You can learn more about them
  at https//www.plantnutritionwellness.com or on
  Instagram _at_thepnwclinic

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• Email -
• fiona_at_wholesomebellies.com.au
• Phone - 0416 250 969

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