Vegan diet: imbalanced or healthy approach?
The choice to eat an all plant-based diet is a major decision. A well-planned vegan diet can be healthy and even an effective way to prevent weight gain. However, you need to know how to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
Many people only embark on a vegan diet after they have already lived a vegetarian lifestyle. The decision to abstain from eating meat is very widespread in view of substandard conditions in large-scale industrial livestock farming. This 'step-by-step' approach to a radical form of nutrition is a sensible way to gradually exclude a wide variety of foods.
Because a vegan diet is usually also a decision of conscience, many vegans even go a step further: they not only forego animal-based food, but also do not buy or use consumer products made from animal ingredients, such as leather or wool, for example.
The range of vegan substitutes is growing and more and more restaurants are also thinking of vegan guests. A statistic: In recent years, just over 1.5 million people in Germany have opted for a largely vegan diet.
A low-fat diet, an active lifestyle, no cigarettes, very little alcohol - vegans are generally very health-conscious. But does a vegan diet supply the nutrients that our bodies need?
Avoid nutritional deficiencies
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) [German Nutrition Society] recommends a balanced and wholesome mixed diet. This should mainly consist of plant-based foods and a small percentage of animal-based foods.
A varied ovo-lacto vegetarian diet is also a suitable alternative, because milk and eggs provide the body with nutrients that plant-based foods cannot really provide.
Vegan diets are especially prone to vitamin B12 deficiencies. In addition, getting enough protein, vitamin D, iron and iodine can be difficult.
Vegan diets are especially prone to vitamin B12 deficiencies. In addition, getting enough protein, vitamin D, iron and iodine can be difficult.
The situation is different with vegan diets: people who do not eat animal products may not absorb enough nutrients. The DGE advises vegans to plan their meals carefully. People in sensitive phases of life, such as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as well as children and young people, are advised not to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Simply 'eliminating' is not enough
Healthy nutrition does not necessarily begin with eliminating animal products from your diet. The fewer products there are available for daily meals, the more difficult it is to supply your body with all the required nutrients. A vegan diet is healthy if you are properly informed and make sure to eat a variety of foods.
Remember: a balanced diet is not only important for vegans. A mixed diet can also be imbalanced and lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Vegetarians and vegans should get informed about plant-based alternatives. Vegan diets are especially prone to vitamin B12 deficiencies. In addition, getting enough protein, vitamin D, iron and iodine can be difficult..
Avoid nutritional deficiencies with plant-based alternatives
An overview with examples is provided in the following table:
Potentially critical nutrient | Vegan foods supplying the nutrient - examples |
|---|---|
Protein | Legumes, grains and cereals, nuts, seed oils, potatoes |
Long-chain n3 fatty acids | Products enriched with microalgae oils |
Vitamin D | Button mushrooms, chanterelle mushrooms, products enriched with vitamin D |
Riboflavin | Legumes, seed oils, nuts, broccoli |
Vitamin B12 | Nutritional supplements and enriched foods |
Calcium | Vegetables such as broccoli and kale, nuts, legumes, tofu, high-calcium mineral water |
Iron | Legumes, nuts, whole grains, vegetables such as black salsify (Scorzonera) and spinach |
Iodine | Iodized and fluoridated table salt, occasionally: seaweed with moderate iodine content |
Zinc | Nuts, wholegrain foods, legumes |
Selenium | Asparagus, cabbage, cruciferous vegetables, onions, bulb vegetables, mushrooms, Brazil nuts |
In search of Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 supports the breakdown of fatty acids and is part of the folate metabolism process. It is mainly found in animal-based foods, for example in liver, eggs, milk, and cheese. Since plant-based food contains almost no usable vitamin B12, it is difficult to get your required daily intake on a vegan diet. It can take five to ten years before the first deficiency symptoms - such as anaemia or neurological disorders - occur.
Vegans should get regular medical tests to check their vitamin B12 levels. According to current knowledge, taking a vitamin B12 supplement is a must. In addition, vegans can eat enriched foods and drinks, such as soymilk.
Note: Sauerkraut may contain vitamin B12 after it has gone through the bacterial fermentation process. According to the DGE, the amount of B12 produced is not sufficient to supply the level that the body needs. It is also not clear whether the human body can absorb and utilize the vitamin in this form.
Weight loss - without animal products
Studies on obesity and chronic diseases have shown that a change in diet - eating fewer or no animal products - can produce special results. For example, (mostly) avoiding foods that are high in fat, such as cheese and sausages, can be very effective for weight loss. In addition, it has been found that diet has in part a greater effect on the regulation of blood pressure and blood lipid levels than medicinal treatments do.
Meet the protein requirements - nourishment for the muscles
Without animal protein, vegans have to rely on the smart combination of plant-based sources to cover their daily required intake. Fortunately, there is a variety of plant-based protein suppliers: Vegans can choose from potatoes, grains, legumes, nuts, and soy products such as tofu and tempeh. To boost the quality of the protein, we recommend properly combining different foods, such as lentil soup with a slice of bread.
Iron: it's all in the mix
Important sources of iron include wholegrain foods, legumes, seed oils (e.g. sesame seeds), nuts, and certain vegetables (including spinach, black salsify (Scorzonera), green peas, lamb's lettuce).
According to the DGE, vegans consume similar amounts of iron as people who eat a mixed diet. The catch is that the body is less able to process iron supplied by plant-based products.
So when it comes to iron intake, the mix is key: eating foods containing vitamin C together improves iron absorption. Black tea and coffee, on the other hand, inhibit it. Feel like having a bowl of pea soup and a cup of coffee? Better to wait a minute.
Sensible or nonsense: processed and ready-made vegan products
From imitation cheese to plant-based sausages: vegans can now find many processed, ready-made and alternative products in the supermarket. Most of them contain a lot of sugar, salt, fat, and some additives. Products that are enriched with vitamins and minerals can aid the supply of nutrients. However, such highly processed foods generally do not make a valuable contribution to a healthy diet.
Radical dietary change with support
If you want to stop eating animal-based foods for animal welfare or environmental protection reasons, it is best to take a step-by-step approach to achieving your goal. Along with ensuring a regular intake of vitamin B12 and combining foods in effective ways, it is important to get an annual blood test. With medical assistance, vegans can keep a check on their nutrient levels. What is more, they also get information about suitable nutritional supplements. Additional support is provided by qualified nutritional counselling: nutritionists help with food choices and explain what combinations should be on your plate, so that your body can optimally utilise vitamins and other nutrients.
All of these are 'vegetarian'
The vegan diet is just one form of a vegetarian diet . There are five main types:
- pescatarian: plant-based foods as well as fish, eggs, milk and dairy products
- lacto-ovo vegetarian: plant-based foods supplemented with eggs, milk and dairy products
- ovo vegetarian: plant-based foods and eggs
- lacto vegetarianism: plant-based foods in combination with milk and dairy products
- vegan: plant-based foods only, no animal food and additives
