What Supplements Do You Need on A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet?
“Can you get all the nutrients you need if you only eat plants?”
You’ve probably heard that question more than once if you tell people you’re following a plant-based diet.
And you know what? You absolutely can!
But like anyone following any type of diet, there are cases where you might want to turn to supplements to make sure you’re getting everything your body needs.
Think of all the people you know who take vitamins. I bet a lot of them are meat eaters.
The truth is that we could all use some help sometimes, even the healthiest eaters among us. It doesn’t mean your diet is inferior; it just means you care about your health. Although the supplements you’ll want to take do depend in part on your diet, there are other factors to consider as well.
Yeah, I know. It’s not going to be a short answer. But this is definitely worth a read if you’re looking for optimal health.
Here’s a look at some of the best supplements for vegans and those following a whole food plant-based diet.
Top supplements for a (healthy) vegan or whole food plant-based diet
Vitamin B12
As a vitamin needed for nerve development, energy, wellbeing, and to help prevent anemia, B12 is one vitamin that you don’t want to miss out on. While you often hear vegans supplementing this one because it’s not that easy to find in plant foods, meat eaters also struggle to get enough of it.
I add nutritional yeast to most of my meals to get the vitamin B12 benefits, which is pretty easy because it just tastes so darn good! (If you like cheese, you’re going to love it!)
The brand of nutritional yeast I use is fortified with B12 and gives me 88% of my recommended consumption in just one 5-gram serving. While I do think I get enough B12 in my diet overall, I take a B12 oral spray supplement a few times a week just to be sure.
Vitamin D3
All vitamins are important, don’t get me wrong, but one of the most amazing ones is vitamin D. It can help prevent several types of cancer, including breast cancer, which is an awesome feat all on its own.
But vitamin D is a bit of an overachiever. It also helps boost your immunity and enhances your lung, heart and thyroid health. It can help your body absorb calcium and keep your blood sugar under control.
The good thing about vitamin D is that your body will create it naturally if you spend some time in the sun without sunscreen.
I’m not saying you should go to the beach all day without sunscreen, but if you’re just doing some gardening or walking your dog around the block in short sleeves a few times a week, that can be enough for many people.
This also depends to some degree on your skin tone, the time of day and year, where you live and the general weather conditions. Here in Malta, we get 300 days of sun a year. If I’m staying inside all day, I take a D3 spray in the morning, but when I know I’ll be outside in the sun for at least half an hour, I skip it that day.
Vitamin D comes in two varieties, D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 is the one our bodies absorb more easily, so look for a vegan D3 supplement.
Other supplements to consider
As someone with hypothyroidism, I can’t emphasize vitamins B12 and D3 enough. It’s common to be deficient in both when you have this condition.
I’ve been there, and it was not a nice feeling. At all.
For me, it meant needing to sleep 14 to 16 hours a day, feeling exhausted all the time, going through life in an endless fog, and struggling to concentrate on even the simplest tasks or conversations.
I know from experience that getting the right nutrients can completely transform the way you feel.
While B12 and D3 are the top two, hypothyroidism or not, there are a few more supplements worth considering. This is really personal and depends on how healthy and varied your diet is.
If you eat the same four vegetables all the time, you might be missing out on certain micronutrients, so take a good look at your diet and figure out what your body needs.
Keep in mind that many health problems you might experience could be symptoms of vitamin deficiency, such as hair loss, bleeding gums, and brittle nails, so do some research on what those symptoms might mean and see if you need to start eating more of certain foods or taking supplements.
Omega 3
There’s a reason some foods brag on the packaging that they’re a good source of omega-3: the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are super important for brain and eye health and reduce your risk of inflammation, breast cancer and depression.
Your body can convert the type of omega-3 found in chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts, which is known as ALA, into EPA and DHA, but that may not be enough to reach ideal levels. Some of the best sources of EPA and DHA are fatty fish, so supplements may be useful to those who don’t eat fish.
Zinc
Your body needs this mineral for metabolism, immunity, and repairing cells. If you don’t get enough of it, you might experience hair loss, slow wound healing and diarrhea.
Zinc deficiency is a major problem around the world, regardless of diet, and a deficiency could even play a role in coronavirus. You can find zinc in whole grains, sprouted breads, nuts, seeds and legumes.
Iodine
Iodine is needed for healthy thyroid function, and that’s pretty important because your thyroid controls your metabolism.
If you don’t get enough iodine, you could develop hypothyroidism – which is something I had even when I ate foods considered to be good sources of iodine, like dairy and seafood.
I’d tell you which foods have a high iodine content, but this depends on how much iodine is in the soil where the vegetables were grown. That’s why even the most well-rounded traditional or whole food plant-based diet can come up short.
Iron
I’m mentioning iron because a lot of women, regardless of diet, fail to get enough of it, which can cause anemia, fatigue and lowered immune function. Adult women need 18 milligrams per day.
You can get iron from foods like beans, nuts, seeds, and cruciferous vegetables, but if you’re not a fan of any of those, you might consider supplements. And because you don’t want to get too much iron, a blood test can determine how much you need.
Magnesium
Magnesium is important for nearly every function and tissue in your body. It supports your heart and immune system and can even help fight depression and migraines. It’s found in spinach and other leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and soy.
If you’re going to supplement, magnesium citrate is your best bet because it’s the type that is most easily absorbed by your body. It’s bound with citric acid, which is found naturally in citrus fruits, and it has even shown promise in helping alleviate depression and anxiety.
Vitamin K2
Although it’s good for bone and heart health and metabolism, this is one vitamin that a lot of people overlook. It’s found in fermented foods such as miso paste and sauerkraut. That’s why so many of my whole food plant-based recipes feature miso paste as an ingredient (besides the fact that it makes everything so tasty, of course!).
What to watch out for in supplements
Not all supplements are worth your money, and some of the bad ones can even be downright dangerous because they’re not regulated by the FDA.
I suggest looking for whole food vitamins, which means they’re made from real food and are therefore easier for your body to absorb.
Don’t buy supplements that contain fillers, preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors.
Heavy metals, pesticides and other pollutants can be a big problem in supplements, too, so see if you can find lab results for the ones you’re considering.
You should also look out for certification from the NSF, which means the product has passed tests by a highly respected independent certification organization.
I don’t say this to scare you, but the idea here is to make your health better, not worse. Take the same care with supplements as you do with the food you eat, and you should be fine!
The bottom line
When you follow a whole food plant-based diet, it’s entirely possible to get all the nutrients you need. You should only consider supplements if you think you’re falling short in any of these nutrients and you don’t consume enough whole food sources regularly. Whether you eat a vegan or whole food plant-based diet, there’s no reason you can’t thrive!