5 min
How to avoid nutritional deficits on a vegan diet?
According to a study by Statista , the vegan population around the world tends to increase every year. In France, it reaches 2%, while among our German, English or Swiss neighbors, it is around 3%. India, for its part, smashes the scores with 13.4% of vegans on its territory.
Overall, these numbers remain low compared to the number of omnivores. But with ecological issues, those linked to animal abuse as well as the population's increased interest in healthier food , more and more of us want to change our consumption patterns.
Exclusively plant-based food, called vegan or vegan , is increasingly popular because it is healthier and more respectful of the environment. However, if practiced without a minimum of thought, it can cause nutritional deficits with serious repercussions for the entire body.
We therefore became interested in this subject: how to avoid a nutritional deficit during a vegan diet ? We give you all the keys here. Let's go !
Vegan food in a few words
First of all, it is good not to confuse veganism and the so- called vegan vegan diet. Veganism is a way of life that rejects all forms of animal exploitation. Thus, a vegan strictly speaking and by definition (since everyone is free of their beliefs) does not wear clothes made from animals such as wool, silk or leather, and does not use any products tested on animals . Of course, he does not eat meat foods such as meat, fish or shellfish, nor those derived from animal activity such as milk, cheese, or even honey.
So you can have a vegan diet without completely adopting the vegan lifestyle.
The ONAV (National Plant Food Observatory) defines a person adopting a vegan diet as “ a person [who] does not consume organs (muscles, viscera and tissues), biological fluids (milk, blood, marrow, etc.), derivatives (yoghurt, butter, cheese, cream, etc.) and products (eggs, honey, etc.) whose production has, directly or indirectly, required the exploitation or slaughter of an animal terrestrial or aquatic. She consumes foods of non-animal origin .
At first glance, this exclusively plant-based diet does not always seem attractive, in particular because of preconceived ideas. However, when practiced intelligently, it turns out to be quite varied and healthy. This new mode of consumption is leading the vegan population to rethink their plates and cook their dishes, which makes it possible to avoid the too fatty and too sweet food found in supermarkets.
However, although this diet is quite healthy, a vegan nutritional deficit can quickly occur if you are not careful.
How to limit the lack of vegan food as much as possible?
As a general rule, the daily intake necessary for humans is well met by plants and legumes. The vegan diet based exclusively on the consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes is good for transit, because it is rich in fiber, low in sugar and salt, which for example helps avoid metabolic problems.
Therefore, to ensure good shape and avoid shortages as much as possible, prepare balanced and varied dishes. Monitor your intake by informing yourself about the different sources of vitamins, minerals and even proteins. Even without eating meat or fish, you can for example find proteins in soy, spirulina, hemp and pumpkin seeds, and most legumes in general. Iron and iodine are available in certain algae.
However, despite a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet, with the exclusion of meat, fish, shellfish and all animal-related products, certain intakes are difficult to meet. Thus, a vegan deficiency unfortunately quickly occurs, and some are quite common, such as the lack of vitamin B12 , iron, zinc, iodine, fatty acids or even vitamin D.
This is where complementation comes into play.
Vegan shortage: the right supplements to redress the situation
In order to prevent any vegan food deficit, it is possible to supplement with good quality food supplements . The lack of vitamin B12, in particular, is almost inevitable in this diet!
In fact, vitamin B12 is present exclusively in meat, which makes its consumption impossible for vegans. A lack of B12 can cause serious damage to the brain: supplementation is therefore mandatory.
Iron, too, is a concern, because it is much less bioavailable in plants , that is to say less assimilable than the iron found in foods of animal origin. So, even if a vegan consumes it through various products, it may happen that they are in deficit.
As for vitamin D, even if we find it in fruits and through exposure to the sun, it is mainly hidden in foods excluded from the plant-based diet such as fish, milk or eggs. Moreover, a good part of the population, even omnivores, often finds themselves lacking when bad days arrive and the sun is scarce.
Finally, zinc, fatty acids and iodine are also among the elements to monitor and potentially supplement, because here again, they are mainly found in meat products or in shellfish.
It is to avoid these risks of dietary deficit that we have developed a wide range of food supplements , bringing together everything you need to be in great shape.
You will find vitamin B12 , iron , zinc , and everything you need to fill gaps linked to the vegan diet, such as:
- A Multivitamin ,
- An Organic Spirulina ,
- A Probiotic Formula ,
- A Magnesium ,
- A Vitamin D3 ,
- An Ashwagandha ,
and many other additions. These are both ideal for filling a vegan deficit, and themselves made in accordance with veganism, without any products of animal origin! Finally, when supplementation is necessary, always opt for products of very good quality and bioavailable for the body, in order to optimize the assimilation of supplements.
Balanced diet and supplementation: the winning vegan duo
You now know more about the vegan diet, its advantages, but also the associated risks. Now that you are knowledgeable, don't forget to balance and vary your diet, and above all, to supplement yourself if you follow a strict vegan diet. Without that, beware of deficits!
Lucas PINOS
Co-founder of NOVOMA
Passionate and expert in micro-nutrition, Lucas founded Novoma in 2012. It is with conviction that he develops food supplements with effective, carefully chosen and 100% clean active ingredients, to best meet the body's needs.
