What nutrients need to be most supplemented in a vegan diet, is it Zinc , also where is good plant sources ...

Question

So I knwo Zinc can be low in vegan diets as well as saturated fats, I know you really don't need many saturated fats but some are good ,and I don't like hydrogented oil. So what is most commonly missing form the vegan diet, I know it isn't protein becasue you cna get plenty of protein form plant based foods, is it Zinc and how to get more ,as this is essential to your health. What other nutrients are defficient and must be supplemnted in a plant based diet. What about dietary phospho-creatine and glycogen? also how to get more calories as eating a plant based diet can be a daunting task as you have to eat a bunch.

Answer 1

Legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds can be good sources of zinc.  Vegan women are more prone to low zinc status than vegan men, possibly due to a greater reliance on foods like salads and fresh fruits and vegetables, which aren't reliable sources.  All I can find on saturated fat in vegans diets is that we normally don't have to take care to avoid it because it's not prevalent in our diets, but nothing stating that we need to seek any out.  However, tropical oils like palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernal oil are all naturally saturated versus artificially hydrogenated, so if you feel like you have to have some, there you go.  If we're eating a varied diet, we have plenty of sources of heart-healthy unsaturated fats.  Creatine is not an essential amino acid; our bodies make that themselves.  And as far as I know, glycogen is just the form in which we store energy from food (?)  The only nutrient not available from unfortified vegan food is vitamin B12, but there are plenty of fortified foods like whole grain breads and cereals, soymilk and nutritional yeast.  Getting more calories means either increasing the volume of food you eat or increasing the caloric density of the foods you eat; nuts, avocados and seeds are examples of calorie dense foods.  Avocado can be blended into fruit smoothies and the taste disappears behind the fruit, but it's a good way to get more caloric bang for your buck.

Pick up a copy of "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina for good, broad-based coverage of vegan nutrition.  And I've seen a few books aimed at vegan athletes (which I assume is where your concern for creatine, glycogen and high caloric intake are coming from) on amazon.com.  Vegan Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier has one, for example.

Answer 2

The same in any diet. If you eat good and get your nutrients from foods (which is clearly can in a vegan diet) you do not need supplements. What makes you think Zinc can be low in vegan diets?

Plant sources of Zinc include dried seaweed, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), nuts (pine, raw cashews, raw almonds, raw pecans) whole grains, wholemeal bread, brown rice, beans (lentils, chickpeas, lima, split peas) soybeans, tempeh, tvp, tofu, wheat germ & oats.

Saturated fats can be in vegan diets it is good to avoid them though or not eat much.

You can get high calories vegan meals if you are looking to gain weight, eat more carbohydrates, fats, oils, sugar, fried foods, nuts, vegan pre-made products, avocados, nut butters, vegan sweets, shakes, search recipe sites.

The only things commonly missing form a good vegan diet are diseases, blood, f***s, high fat, cholesterol, and health problems that come with eating animals.

Answer 3

Vitamin B12. It is "only" found in animal products. But whats funny is people who eat VERY strict diets consisting ONLY of organic WHOLE fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds (so no sugary fruit juices, canned fruit, refined white flour, dairy products, or meat, etc) actually have great nutrition and synthesize their own B12. But that could just be coincidence. who knows

If you are worried about Sat. fat, avocados are a natural source of fat. In fact, if the average american ate a lot of avocados every day they could theoretically gain some weight. Glycogen is made when your body stores glucose in the muscles. vegetarians/vegans are usually no where near deficient. If you eat carbs, you have glycogen. Also, phosphocreatine is not an essential nutrient. In order for something to be an essential nutrient it needs to meet all 3 of these:

1. Proven purpose within the body

2. removing it from the diet will result in damage

3. Re-adding it to the diet will correct the damage.

Answer 4

What does it matter? We all die anyway.

Answer 5

the darker the green the more zinc.

So spinach thats the best for you.

Lettuce; Romain that is healthier

Cabbage

Broccoli

etc.