Supplements You Need to Take If You’re Vegan

Veganism is fast becoming the lifestyle choice of health-conscious and ethically minded people from around the globe. This is due to a realization that plant-based diets can provide considerable benefits to your health, from the increased fiber you consume to the vitamins and minerals contained in them. Furthermore, many people who have entirely removed meat from their diets have found an increase in energy level and overall vitality. Although this is true, many of those participating in the vegan lifestyle can often find themselves lacking specific vitamins and minerals primarily found in meat. Fortunately, there is a raft of vegan-friendly supplements that exist that allow you to supplement your diet and afford your body all of the nourishment it needs.

What Is Veganism?

What is veganism? Veganism is the practice of embracing a diet that is free of all animal products. It’s a philosophy based on compassion for all living beings and seeking to prevent animal exploitation. Plant-based foods can help you achieve this, like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Many vegans also choose to adopt a lifestyle of compassion based on their beliefs. Nevertheless, they may need to take extra steps like consuming omega 3 supplements because eating fish is prohibited. Luckily, you can often get these supplements that have not been sourced from fish mentioned later in the post. It requires discipline and strict adherence to the lifestyle as you cannot eat some of the foods you may have grown up eating, such as:

• Any form of meat.
• Fish or shellfish.
• Eggs.
• Cheese
• Butter.
• Milk and other dairy products.
• Mayonnaise.
• Honey.

Veganism is entirely distinct from vegetarianism, where they may still consume animal products apart from meat.

What Are The Benefits Of Becoming Vegan?

There are two sides to this answer, the health side, and the ethical side. If you look at the moral justification for being a vegan, the advantages are that you no longer support an industrial system based on animal cruelty. This extends to the products created by animals. For example, non-vegans may consider it immoral to eat chicken but OK to eat their eggs. However, veganism states that the industrial nature in which the eggs are “farmed” is an inhumane one. The same goes for dairy and honey. All of this is not to mention the overall deleterious effects that industrial farming has on the planet’s ecosystem (a post for another day!). On the other side of the coin are the various health benefits. These can include:

• To help you lose weight.
• By lowering your cholesterol, you are less likely to develop heart disease.
• Become less likely to develop certain types of cancer, including colon cancer.
• Reduced A1C levels can help to manage diabetes.

While these benefits are advantageous, there will inevitably be some essential vitamins and minerals missing from your diet. This is where supplementation comes in.

Supplements Every Should Vegan Take

Generally speaking, most vegans cannot get enough iron, Omega oils, and vitamin B12 due to their diet. Therefore, they should increase their intake of these particular items and do so via supplementation.

Omega Oils

Omega oils are a unique and distinct form of fatty acids, which are vital to human health. They are a source of healthy, unsaturated fats and are known as healthy fats. Omega oils are critical to the formation of cell membranes and can be found in high amounts in the brain, hair, and skin. Omega oils are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties that can help with joint pain, muscle soreness, heart disease, and sports injuries. They come in the following forms:

• Omega 3: Human cell membranes are made up of omega-3 fats. They ensure that your cells are functioning correctly. Omega 3 is critical for your body to be healthy and strong.
• Omega 6: Their primary function is to provide energy. The body metabolizes linoleic acid into longer omega-6 fats like arachidonic acid, which is vital for supporting a robust immune system.
• Omega 9: Nonessential fats like omega-9 are produced by the body. Health benefits may result from switching from saturated fat to omega-9 fat.

Typically, these supplements are made by processing the oil from fish which would normally prohibit vegans from using them. Luckily, there are plenty of fantastic companies that have developed them from using the oils from:

• Flaxseed.
• Walnuts.
• Seaweed.
• Algae.
• Canola.
• Hemp Seeds.
• Edamame.
• Kidney Beans.
• Chia Seeds.

Iron

Iron is a mineral essential for stable growth and development, oxygen transport in the blood, formation of new cells, and energy production. In the body, iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. In the body, iron is released in the blood to allow oxygen to travel throughout the body. Iron also supports the growth of new blood cells and the production of the oxygen-carrying pigment, hemoglobin. While it is mainly found in meat-based products, you can either take a supplement or consume more iron-rich foods like:

• Blackstrap molasses: This is one of the highest non-meat sources of iron. However, it is also full of sugar, so use sparingly.
• Lentils: The staple of vegetarians and vegans worldwide. They are high in iron and luckily can be transformed into several delicious meals.
• Tofu: Tofu and other soy-based foods contain around 6.6 milligrams per half a cup.
• Spinach: Another staple high in iron. The best thing is that you can eat it cooked as a side dish or raw in a smoothie.

Vitamin B12

Water-soluble vitamin B12 cannot be produced by our bodies and comes from food. It is crucial for helping your body digest and absorbs nutrients that it needs, and it also helps maintain a healthy red blood cell count. Vitamin B12 is also called cobalamin because it is the only form of the vitamin that is biologically active. Active individuals may not replenish it as it depletes their bodies when they exercise, so that a B12 supplement may be necessary.

Although being a vegan requires a change in lifestyle and possible supplementation to accommodate your life, the benefits typically far outweigh any disadvantage that might arise from it. Most dietary deficiencies can be taken care of using natural ingredients or a high-quality vegan supplement.