Veganuary: What Supplements Do I Need?

vegetable box.

If you're trying Veganuary or a long-time Vegan who like me isn't strict with their supplement intake, here is a very simple list of the recommended supplements and daily doses required.

You can then either opt for a daily multi-vitamin or individual tablets/sprays/drops which have much higher dose, tending to almost reach your daily requirement when taken individually.

It goes without saying that I am not a nutritionist or health expert and you should undertake your own research, however the below requirements have been taken from the NHS website.

Recommended supplements for a vegan diet and how much you need per day (adults): 

  • Calcium - 700mg
  • Iodine - 0.14mg
  • Iron - 8.7mg men, 14.8mg women up to 50 and 8.7mg women over 50
  • Omega 3 - 500mg and ensure it contains EPA and DHA types
  • Vitamin B12 - 1.5 microgram (ug)
  • Vitamin D - 10 micrograms (ug) (Not usually required during May-September)
  • Zinc - Men 9.5mg and 7mg women

The below information has been taken The Independent.

Calcium

Usually found in high quantities in dairy products, such as milk and cheese, calcium is a key one for vegans to supplement to help maintain strong bones and prevent blood clotting.

“Sources such as kale, dried figs and almonds all count towards the 700mg/day that is required in the body, but there are many calcium fortified foods available; calcium-set tofu, calcium-fortified milk and bread.” 

Iodine

“Iodine can often be forgotten but it is key for your body,” says Lambert, “as it is used to make thyroid hormone.” As a key metabolic regulator, a deficiency in iodine can weaken the immune system and lead to an enlarged thyroid gland. It also happens to be one if the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world, affecting nearly one-third of the population, Lambert claims.

Iodine can be found naturally in cranberries, strawberries, seaweed.

Iron

As an essential central component of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood, an iron deficiency can cause anemia which can lead to fatigue and poor functioning of the immune system, Lambert explains.
There are two types: heme and non-heme. “A vegan diet will only include non-heme diet as its plant-based opposed to heme iron,” she adds. “Key sources of non-heme iron are broccoli, spinach, soy beans, and tofu.”

Omega 3

There are three different types of Omega 3 fatty acids, Lambert explains: alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Unlike other nutrients, these cannot be made in the body and therefore must be obtained through diet or supplementation.

Crucial to healthy brain function and nerve health, Lambert says the best vegan sources are nuts and seeds, which mostly contain ALA. However, these can take longer to be fully absorbed and therefore supplementing with a tablet is advisable to ensure you’re getting enough.

Vitamin B12

Fundamental to the functioning of a healthy nervous system, this is a crucial one for vegans as B12 is only found in animal products such as eggs, meat or fish, explains leading Harley Street nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert. However, it is occasionally added to plant-based foods, such as nutritional yeast. When not supplemented properly, a deficiency can lead to heart problems and complications during pregnancy, she added.

Vitamin D

During the chilly winter months, it’s not just vegans who could do with some vitamin D, which is typically obtained via sun exposure. It’s extremely important for bone health and immune system function, says Lambert.

Zinc

Not many plant-based foods actually contain zinc (small amounts are found in chickpeas), so it’s advisable to supplement via tablets if possible as the micronutrient is crucial for boosting metabolism, hormone production and immune function. It can also help the breakdown of carbohydrates, Lambert adds.
The best plant-based sources are nuts, seeds and legumes.

64 comments

  • Read this!!!

    I made millions through lottery spells with the help of Doctor Odunga. I contacted Doctor Odunga through his email: odungaspelltemple@gmail.com to perform a spell for me to win the Powerball Lottery in Florida. After I contacted him, he replied to me and said I should only pay $200 for the spell and I should trust in him. It was hard at first to let my money go but I had to keep faith. I was surprised when he gave me the winning numbers to play the Saturday Powerball Lottery. I bought the ticket and truly speaking, the winning numbers emerged from the Powerball numbers and I was the winner of the lottery. I won $535.4 Million USD as the Powerball Lottery Winner. I am very happy to share this testimony of Doctor Odunga and want you too to meet him at his email: odungaspelltemple@gmail.com OR Whats-app +2348167159012
    Miranda Watkins
  • BE SMART AND BECOME RICH IN LESS THAN 3DAYS It all depends on how fast
    you can be to get the new PROGRAMMED blank ATM card that is capable of
    hacking into any ATM machine, anywhere in the world. I got to know about
    this BLANK ATM CARD when I was searching for job online about a month
    ago It has really changed my life for good and now I can say I’m rich and
    I can never be poor again. The least money I get in a day with it is about
    $50,000.(fifty thousand USD) Every now and then I keeping pumping money
    into my account. Though is illegal,there is no risk of being caught
    ,because it has been programmed in such a way that it is not traceable,it
    also has a technique that makes it impossible for the CCTVs to detect
    you. For details on how to get yours today, email the hackers on :
    atmmachinehackers1@gmail.com Tell your
    loved once too, and start to live large. That’s the simple testimony of how
    my life changed for good. Love you all

    zam zam
  • Finally!!! I am the happiest woman to be called a mother soon. I am saying this because I am very grateful to Dr. Odunga for helping me with my relationship problems faced in my marriage due to the issues of infertility after 7 years of marriage. My husband and I have tried so many options for a successful fertility including IVF but it was futile. My husband’s family have said different abusive words to me and my husband and he almost stopped loving me after many years of marriage without a child from me. It was a long time of sorrow for me and it affected me mentally. Dr. Odunga was introduced to me by a friend whom he helped and that was how I contacted Dr Odunga at odungaspelltemple@gmail.com and within 2 days of contact, he did the spell and I successfully conceived after sleeping with my husband as he said. It was very surprising and overwhelming with joy and still unbelievable because I have been seeing testimonies of spell casters but never believed I would be helped by one. Dr. Odunga is indeed a great spell caster. Get in contact with this man to help you solve your problems at odungaspelltemple@gmail.com or Whats App his phone number at +2348167159012
    Mandy
  • Hire the most Efficient and Reliable Crypto/Bitcoin Recovery Masters. Ever been a scam victim and after being swindled you are left in Dilemma of what will be the next step to take. I had lost considerable sum of money in a Fake online investment scheme.,Early last month.I had invested A sum of $149520 worth of bitcoin and loosing my funds was the last thing in my mind as I made that investment.Special thanks to this expertise Recovery Masters who came through my aid and were able to recover my lost Bitcoin .Their services are highly professional.Submit to them your report incase you have happened to be a victim also.via email:(jeansonjamesanchetawizard62@gmail.com) or WhatsApp number: +44 (7440) 105166 or +44 (7506) 216101.

    Jocelyne Edmond
  • I want to give a testimony of how I met Doctor Odunga who made me a wealthy woman using spell casting. This man helped me when I had nothing and no one to help me. My name is Darren Thompson and I am from Ramsgate but I live in Kentucky. I have always heard of the lottery and people winning the lottery through spell-casting and with Doctor Odunga I believed it was real. He helped me win the powerball lottery of (Three Hundred and Eighty-Six Million Dollars) $386 Million Dollars with spell casting giving me all the numbers for the lottery game. I am very happy to be the one giving this testimony too about this man. He is very sincere with his work. Win your own lottery with the contact information of this man at his Email: odungaspelltemple@gmail.com OR Whats-App his mobile number and telegram handle +2348167159012

    Darren

Leave a comment