There has been a lot of debate over the efficacy of vegan diets and whether they provide adequate nutrition to the body. If you are following a vegan diet, you would naturally be curious about the need for any supplements for staying healthy and fit. Vegan diets can be a huge boost if they are planned and executed in an appropriate manner. There are various health benefits of following vegan diet plans. Vegan diets can also help in combating multiple diseases and ailments with considerable elan. Do you actually require supplements to make them even better for your health? Read on to find out whether you would require supplements or not!
Vegan diets have to be planned and balanced appropriately
Vegan diets are not really aligned to complete health and fitness according to a large number of experts and professionals in this arena. Vegan diets have to be well balanced if you are to get all the benefits that you require. Since there are no dairy products, meat based items, eggs and other poultry included in these diet plans, some vital nutrients may go missing if you do not plan your diet plan properly. These include protein, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, iron and other essential boosts for the body.
However, planning a vegan diet properly may well negate your need for supplements in large numbers. According to scientific research and other studies, vegan diets help with regard to combating possible risks of problems like cancer, heart disease and strokes owing to their low cholesterol and saturated fat content. Vegan dieters are also observed to have lower body mass indexes as compared to regular meal plan followers.
Do you require supplements at all if you are on a vegan diet?
Put your worries to rest; you can get all the nutrients with proper planning as mentioned earlier. When it comes to calcium for the body, you should try to consume foods rich in calcium. These include breakfast cereal, orange juice and soy milk all of which are rich in calcium. Alongside, you can go for nuts, legumes, tofu, seeds and particular leafy vegetables. If these do not work, then only do you have to opt for a calcium supplement on a daily basis. In case of vitamin D, you should either go for pure milk or soy milk or also breakfast cereals which have fortified calcium content.
You can also get your regular dose of iron from plant foods like peas, leafy vegetables, dried beans, lentils, peas and other grain products with iron fortification. You should also consume meals that are rich in vitamin C as that will help you stock up on iron content as well. Vitamin B12 should be made up by supplements only as this is found in animal sources. No plant based foods can replenish vitamin B12 in the body. Protein is possible through lentils, beans, nuts, seeds and the like but calcium and vitamin B12 are essentials that should be made up through the usage of supplements.