Vegan – a Path to Better Health?

Every vegetarian and vegan I know strongly defends their choice to abstain from eating meat and meat byproducts. And, with good reason, they obviously chose this lifestyle because they believe doing so will improve their health. Here’s the rundown on the pluses and minuses of becoming a vegan:

Benefits:
Higher intake of fiber, folic acid, vitamins C & E, potassium, magnesium and many phytochemicals (plant based healthy compounds).
Less saturated fat and cholesterol (beneficial? For some, possibly)
Vegans tend to be thinner, have lower total cholesterol and lower blood pressure reducing their risk of heart disease.
In general, vegetarians typically have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

Drawbacks:
Vegan diets increase the risk of some nutrient deficiencies including vitamins B-12 and D, calcium, omega 3 fatty acids.
Iron and zinc status may be compromised because of the limited bioavailability of these minerals in a vegan diet (compounds in grains, seeds and legumes as well as some other foods and beverages interfere with the absorption of iron and zinc).

Recommendations
Consume B-12 fortified foods such as rice and soy milk and breakfast cereals (check out the Nutrition Facts panel).

Consume calcium-fortified plant foods such as breakfast cereals, fortified beverages, in addition to natural sources such as green leafy vegetables, tofu and tahini.

Consume vitamin D fortified foods.

Eat omega 3 rich vegetarian foods (which contain the omega 3 fat ALA) including flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, soy products, hemp seed beverages. Also, consider taking EPA and DHA supplements or eating foods and consuming beverages fortified with these two omega 3 fatty acids.

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Low Calorie Diet Concerns

Low calorie diets have their place – they can help morbidly obese persons shed weight rapidly thereby modifying their disease risk factors and enhancing their quality of life. But, for the person who needs to lose 20 lbs or so, low calorie diets are not my favorite option unless they use them for a short period of time (2 weeks or so) or alternate low calorie days with higher calorie days (this takes diligence and commitment).

Why the distain for very low or low calorie diets? According to research out of Baylor University, conducted on Curves participants, a low calorie diet can quickly drop metabolism which means you are burning fewer calories at rest (in this particular study, they put women on a 1,200 calorie diet for 2 weeks). And that counteracts exactly what you are trying to do.

Secondly, low calorie diets can make you feel fatigued (especially if you aren’t eating the right foods). And when you are lethargic, all you want to do is sit on the couch – not exactly a good prescription for weight loss.

And lastly, low calorie diets often make it tough to get all the nutrients we need everyday. You have no calories to spare when you aren’t eating much, which means every single food must be packed with nutrition value. And, even then, you won’t meet your nutrient needs making a multivitamin and possibly supplemental vitamins or minerals (in addition to the multivitamin), very important. Some of the most obvious nutrient deficiencies and the foods you must eat to obtain enough of each nutrient include:

- Omega 3s ~ fatty fish
- Vitamin D ~ salmon, mackerel, fortified milk, some yogurts, some mushrooms, sunlight
- Calcium ~ dairy
- Iron ~ red meat, dark turkey meat, chicken
- Magnesium ~ halibut, mixed nuts, cereal

If you want to try a low calorie diet, do so only under the care of a Registered Dietitian and/or a physician who specializes in bariatrics (few physicians are versed on diet and nutrition but bariatrics is the study of obesity).

Micronutrient Smackdown: The Best Time to Take Your Vitamins and Minerals

When I meet with people for nutrition coaching, I always ask about their medicine and supplement intake in addition to what they are eating. Why? Because I can quickly spot gaps in their diet and want to be sure they are filling those gaps with supplements. Especially if they don't plan on adding food sources of the missing nutrients in the near future. And, I want to be certain they are taking their supplements the right way because many people were never told by their physician (or the supplement bottle doesn’t mention this) how to take a particular mineral.

You see, like sorority girls, minerals are finicky. There are many forms for each one (calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium phosphate for example) and some just don’t like each other (calcium interferes with iron absorption) or certain medications (calcium decreases the absorption of some antibiotics) and others have formed a team and help one another (magnesium and calcium for example). So, how do you know what to take when? Here’s a quick rundown of some of the common ones people need and how to take them:

Multivitamin – take with food and preferably food with a little fat (to enhance the absorption of fat soluble vitamins you need fat in your gut).

Calcium – take up to 600 mg at a time. If your physician told you to take 1,200 total mg/day, take them in two separate doses of 600 mg, spaced apart. Your body only absorbs up to 500-600 mg at a time.

Calcium carbonate – take with food to enhance absorption.
Calcium citrate can be taken at any time of the day.

Magnesium – no single pill multivitamin contains 100% of your magnesium needs per day (it is a very big mineral) and according to population based data, many people don’t consume enough magnesium through their food intake. Diuretics and antibiotics can contribute to magnesium depletion. Magnesium can decrease the absorption of tetracycline (an antibiotic); so take it at a different time of the day. Many antacids and laxatives contain magnesium –be careful consuming these due to the potential for elevated blood magnesium levels. Enteric coating of magnesium supplements can decrease their absorption.

Iron – there are two types of supplements.
Non-heme iron is the most popular (all over the counter kinds of iron unless it says it contains heme iron) and should be taken with vitamin C rich foods, a heme iron source (meat) and not taken close in proximity to calcium containing foods or supplements. In addition, it’s best not to take this with leafy greens or bread as each has compounds that decrease the absorption of non-heme iron.

Heme iron – easy, take anytime of the day. You don’t need to worry about what you take it with or without.

Zinc – taking an iron supplement with large quantities of iron may decrease zinc absorption. According to NIH, taking iron between meals will help (see note above about iron). High intakes of iron can impair absorption of copper.

Potassium – found in very minor amounts in multivitamins. Don’t take extra potassium unless your physician tells you to do so. Having too much or too little potassium can be very serious.

Given that so minerals are picky and like to be treated a certain way, you are probably wondering why you should even bother taking a multivitamin mineral supplement. However, I do believe in multis and take one myself and I supplement with minerals as needed. After all, I try to eat a wide variety of foods but, I realize that there are probably vitamins and minerals I am missing out on.