Vegetarianism and deficiencies

But what is the difference between a vegetarian, VEGAN and flexitarian diet?

The term vegetarian is generic and includes various diet modalities depending on whether people really only eat plant-based foods, a vegan diet, or combine them with dairy and/or eggs. and the flexitarian diet is followed by those people who also eat oily fish one day a week or month and some even eat a product such as meat sporadically. This last case is the most common and the one that has been adding the most followers lately due to the trend to reduce meat consumption, either for health reasons or for reasons of environmental sustainability.

In any case, each and every one of us should have the opportunity to eat nutritionally adequately and enjoy whatever our choice is. By nature we are omnivorous animals and our digestive system is designed to eat different types of food, what's more, we must eat a wide variety of foods to obtain all the nutrients our body needs. This acquires greater importance when the person limits or must limit a food group from their diet, as in the case of vegetarianism. In adulthood we must provide nutrients to maintain our physiology, health and well-being, and in childhood and adolescence, which are key stages of growth, development and consolidation of future health, it is very important that food is a very solid pillar . Well-structured, balanced and adequately supplemented vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy options for both adults and children. In any age group, a wide variety of all plant food groups should be sought, from vegetables and fruits, to nuts, seeds, legumes, mushrooms and even some seaweed and whole grains, and provide the supplements that are really needed.

We know that in the context of a vegetarian and vegan diet some deficiencies may occur, so the use of nutritional supplementation is important to avoid them. At present, there is a consensus that the vegan diet can be appropriate, in general, for adequate nutrition as long as some supplements are used, such as vitamin B12 and others if it is considered necessary. This good use of supplements, or rather, of food supplements, is an ally for a good state of health for any vegetarian.

What food supplements should we think about for vegetarians?

B12 VITAMIN

It should always be supplemented. No vegetable or fortified food has significant amounts of vitamin B12, and even fermented products that have something else do not provide enough. It should also be taken into account that the lower concentrations of iron in vegetarian diets may act on the gastric mucosa, reducing the absorption capacity of vitamin B12 through intrinsic factor. In addition, since folic acid is abundant in the diet, if there is no supplementation with vitamin B12, the deficiency of this vitamin can be masked without manifestation of hematological symptoms, detecting the problem in more serious and even irreversible phases with the appearance of symptoms neurological. That is why vegan (and vegetarian) diets should always be supplemented with this vitamin. As it is water soluble and is quickly eliminated, the best thing to do is to take a food supplement based on cyanocobalamin or hydroxycibalamin or methylcobalamin, orally.

IRON

It is not always necessary to supplement it. Iron from vegetables is absorbed somewhat worse than iron from animal sources. That is why it is recommended that vegetarians consume almost double the recommended daily amount of iron versus the recommendations given for an omnivorous diet.

VITAMIN D

Only sometimes do you need to supplement it. Although our main source of this nutrient is the body's own production thanks to the incidence of sunlight on our skin, there are also foods that contain it, but they are always foods of animal origin such as fish, liver or some dairy products. Therefore, for some adults, and especially in the months with less exposure to sunlight, it may be necessary to take a supplement. In this case, since vitamin D is liposoluble and can accumulate in the liver, the doses, whether of cholecalciferol or ergocalciferol, can be adjusted to weekly, biweekly or monthly intakes, depending on the case.

OMEGA 3

Supplementation with long chain omega 3 fatty acids may be necessary. In this case, although the vegetarian diet of an adult may be correct in terms of overall omega-3 content and even provide more than those of some omnivores, it is impossible to arrive at recommended daily doses of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids alone. with food. Our body has a certain capacity to produce them from the essential fatty acid, alpha-linoleic acid, but it is very reduced and ineffective, since it is in competition with the production of other molecules from omega 6 fats that are much more abundant. in the diet. Adults, in general, should take about 250 mg of EPA+ DHA a day, and these are mainly present in foods of animal origin such as oily fish.

Its functions in the nervous system are essential, which is why, although they are not considered essential nutrients, they are really important for health. For this reason, in vegan adults it is interesting to increase the intake of long-chain omega 3 through supplements that must be made from microalgae in order to maintain good cognitive, neurological and visual health.

CALCIUM

In the case of calcium, there is usually no problem, since its bioavailability is 50-60% in vegetables such as Kale, Brussels sprouts or broccoli, while it is 30-35% for cow's milk, cheese or enriched tofu. For this reason, calcium is not a problem in this type of diet, although in adult women in the perimenopausal period it can be assessed individually if a supplement is necessary.

*Wikipedia photo.