Some supplements could be useful to fill possible shortcomings of a restrictive diet: the nutritionist’s advice
Maria Elena Perrero
05 June
Changing one’s diet for ethical reasons: often behind the choice to follow one vegan diet or a vegetarian diet there are reasons that go far beyond the issues related to macro and micronutrients and nutrition itself. But in some cases, nutrition could be affected. When, exactly? When it is the case to make up for some deficiencies dictated by a restrictive diet with supplements? We asked Dr. Giulia Temponi, a nutrition biologist.
Vegan diet and vegetarian diet: the differences
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“First of all let’s clarify the differences between vegan and vegetarian diets – Dr. Temponi said -. Vegetarians exclude meat and fish from their diet, but continue to consume milk, dairy products, cheeses, eggs and honey, all of which are foods of animal origin. Vegans, on the other hand, not only refrain from consuming meat and fish but also from all those foods that derive from animals, such as eggs, milk and derivatives, honey “.
Vegetarian diet: when a supplement is needed
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The risks of a vegetarian diet they are therefore limited, if not null: “Perhaps the only supplement that could be useful is that of vitamina B12 or cobalamin, a very important vitamin because it is involved in the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids and nucleic acids, as well as in the production of red blood cells ”, explains the nutritionist. There vitamina B12 it is found in all foods of animal origin, in particular in meat, fish, liver, milk, eggs. For this reason, those who follow a vegetarian diet may possibly need it, but not always. “If you follow a vegetarian diet rich in legumes and eggs, even six to eight a week, there should be no problems and no need for supplements”, clarifies Temponi.
Vegan diet: when you need a supplement
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The needs of those who follow one are quite different vegan diet. “Vegans are at risk of greater nutritional deficiencies than vegetarians, since a balanced vegetarian diet often does not cause nutritional deficiencies and therefore does not require supplements. A vegan diet, on the other hand, although rich in whole grains, oilseeds and nuts, which contain fiber and minerals, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, which contain many vitamins, fibers and minerals, may have some deficiencies. micronutrients “. For what concern ferro, for example, Dr. Temponi suggests adding lemon juice, rich in vitamin C, to vegetables and legumes, to facilitate their absorption. “In this way you should not have particular iron deficiencies, if you do not have previous situations or pathologies”.
The supplements for those who follow a vegan diet
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As regards the proteins, a vegan diet does not exclude them, but provides only those with a low biological value, that is, less rich in amino acids. “Proteins of animal origin have a high biological value because they contain all the essential amino acids, while those from vegetable sources have a lower biological value – underlines the nutritionist -. For this reason, for those who follow a vegan diet it could be useful to take essential amino acid supplementswhich would be added to additions to vitamina B12 which, as mentioned, is found only in foods of animal origin, therefore excluded in a vegan diet “. Also it zinc it may need to be supplemented: “It is still present in oats, beans, nuts and oil seeds, but in some cases there may be a need. Remember that this mineral is a fundamental component of many enzymatic complexes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins and is essential for the proper functioning of various hormones “. Also there vitamin D it may be deficient: “This vitamin-hormone is found only in foods of animal origin, such as fatty fish, butter, dairy products, eggs and liver, and is synthesized through exposure to sunlight. A lack of vitamin D can have consequences in terms of bone fragility and weakening of the immune defenses. But of course it’s not just vegans who need it: the vitamin D deficiency it is quite common in the general population. For this reason, a dosage and possible additions are highly recommended “.
Vegan diet, omega 3 and minerals
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Even the omega 3 fatty acids, which contribute to lowering the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and have anti-inflammatory functions, could be missing in a vegan diet, since their main (but not exclusive) source is fatty fish such as herring, salmon, anchovies , mackerel and sardines. “It must be said that these essential fatty acids are also found in nuts and oil seeds, but mainly in fish. So if you don’t eat fish you might have a reduced intake of omega 3”, emphasizes the nutritionist. Among the other minerals that may need to be supplemented, Dr. Temponi recalls calcium and iodine: “The first is essential for bone mineralization and blood coagulation and is found in milk and its derivatives, but also in some vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, red beans, almonds and sesame, all foods therefore recommended if you follow a vegan diet. Then there is it iodine, whose main source is fish. If you are vegan it will be good to consume seaweed to make it be. I remember that iodine is a thyroid regulator “.
Vegan diet and fiber
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One last piece of advice concerns the intestinal microbiota, our second brain, essential not only for our intestinal well-being but for the efficiency of our immune system. “The vegan diet done well, therefore with unrefined but whole grains, is very rich in fiber and this could cause problems at the level of intestinal bacterial flora, with fermentation phenomena that could lead to slowdown in digestion and a lack of absorption of nutrients, as well as abdominal bloating and meteorism. For this it can be useful to regularly follow cycles of ad hoc probiotics and prebiotics ”, suggests Dr. Temponi.
05 June 2022 – 09:27
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