Difference between revisions of "Nutrients of Concern"
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Everybody, vegan and non-vegan, ''should'' supplement for vitamin B-12. It's extremely safe and ensures good levels of the vitamin which is necessary for many vital functions from cell division (particularly blood cells) to nerve function. | Everybody, vegan and non-vegan, ''should'' supplement for vitamin B-12. It's extremely safe and ensures good levels of the vitamin which is necessary for many vital functions from cell division (particularly blood cells) to nerve function. | ||
| − | A typical recommended dosage is ''' | + | A typical recommended dosage is '''100 mcg a day''' (which is what is found in many supplements). |
See recommendations for details. | See recommendations for details. | ||
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The Vegan Society (UK), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Michael Greger MD, EVA – Ethisch Vegetarisch Alternatief Belgium, Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), Portuguese Vegetarian Association (Associação Portuguesa Vegetariana), Vegan Action (US), Vegan Outreach (US), and over a dozen other professionals.[http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/everyvegan] | The Vegan Society (UK), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Michael Greger MD, EVA – Ethisch Vegetarisch Alternatief Belgium, Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), Portuguese Vegetarian Association (Associação Portuguesa Vegetariana), Vegan Action (US), Vegan Outreach (US), and over a dozen other professionals.[http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/everyvegan] | ||
| − | While most omnivores get barely enough B-12 to function (since animal products usually contain at least a very tiny amount of B-12, aside from honey which contains none), vegans who do not supplement or regularly eat fortified foods are at risk of getting virtually no B-12 at all because there is no safe and reliable vegan source aside from supplementation, and this can lead to serious complications like nerve damage if not recognized and treated immediately (High folate consumption can mask the earlier signs of deficiency like megaloblastic anemia). | + | While most omnivores get barely enough B-12 to function (since animal products usually contain at least a very tiny amount of B-12, aside from honey which contains none), vegans who do not supplement or regularly eat fortified foods are at risk of getting virtually no B-12 at all because there is no safe and reliable vegan source aside from supplementation (not seaweed, not algae, not organic vegetables; some have traces, but also have B-12 analogues that interfere with absorption, and none enough to reliably correct deficiency), and this can lead to serious complications like nerve damage if not recognized and treated immediately (High folate consumption can mask the earlier signs of deficiency like megaloblastic anemia). |
| − | Please do not compromise the health benefits of a vegan diet by doing something foolish like neglecting a simple, cheap, and safe supplement. | + | Please do not compromise the health benefits of a vegan diet by doing something foolish like neglecting a simple, cheap, and safe and reliable supplement. |
===B-12 stores=== | ===B-12 stores=== | ||
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It's true that some people have large B-12 stores and can go vegan and then wait many years without supplementing, subsisting on their body's stored up B-12 from when they were omnivores. | It's true that some people have large B-12 stores and can go vegan and then wait many years without supplementing, subsisting on their body's stored up B-12 from when they were omnivores. | ||
| − | But consider this: If we know that even most omnivores are borderline deficient, how is it that | + | But consider this: If we know that even most omnivores are borderline deficient, how is it that new vegans would have any reserves to draw from?<br> |
The answer: They probably don't. | The answer: They probably don't. | ||
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===Recommendations=== | ===Recommendations=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | B-12 absorption is is better in small amounts, spread out over time. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jack Norris of Veganhealth.com has a convenient table for reference[http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs] | ||
| + | <img src="https://philosophicalvegan.com/images/b12rec.jpg"> | ||
| + | |||
| + | If you are supplementing daily, 100 mcg is adequate (and can be found in some vegan multivitamins). If you are supplementing only twice a week, you will need 1,000 mcg each time (also a common supplement) which averages to almost 300 mcg a day. Larger doses like this slightly increase the risk of minor acne-like side effects, which can be eliminated by taking smaller supplements more frequently. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The science so far is pretty conclusive: the recommended form is cyanocobalamin because it is very stable and reliable. Other forms may be less stable. | ||
| + | The trace of cyanide in 100 mcg of B-12 is not harmful, and it is comparable to the natural levels of cyanide in other healthy foods like almonds, but is actually safer than those forms because B-12 binds and neutralizes cyanide preventing acute effect even from huge doses. Even without the B-12, you would need thousands of times the amount to pose a risk (the dose makes the poison). | ||
| + | |||
| + | B-12 shots are not recommended. A pill poses no risk, while a shot can (in a freak accident) hit a nerve and cause serious damage. | ||
| + | Vegans using shots for B-12 also mislead people into thinking they need to get shots to go vegan, and this has been used as a reason not to go vegan (fear of needles is very common). | ||
== Vitamin D == | == Vitamin D == | ||
Revision as of 06:27, 7 October 2017
Nutrients of Actual Concern
B12
Everybody, vegan and non-vegan, should supplement for vitamin B-12. It's extremely safe and ensures good levels of the vitamin which is necessary for many vital functions from cell division (particularly blood cells) to nerve function.
A typical recommended dosage is 100 mcg a day (which is what is found in many supplements). See recommendations for details.
Most people, including most meat-eaters, show sub-optimal levels and some even borderline deficiency in B-12. This is because B-12 does not "come from" meat, it is produced by bacteria, and not animals. Small amounts exist in animals because of what the animals ate, from enteric fermentation, or what supplements the animals were given. Wild herbivores including Chimpanzees (our closest relative and mostly herbivorous with under 10% of calories from animal products), gorillas, and other non-ruminant animals, primarily obtain B-12 from the practice of coprophagy and other environmental contamination (not safe, not recommended).
Most animal products are not very good sources of B-12. Beef liver is an exception, because that's where a large amount of B-12 is stored, but exceptions like these are not very popular foods for most people.
However, vegans are at higher risk of severe deficiency. While everybody should supplement B-12, vegans not only should but must supplement B-12. All vegans, every vegan. This is consensus, and endorsed by every major vegan advocacy group and professional:
The Vegan Society (UK), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Michael Greger MD, EVA – Ethisch Vegetarisch Alternatief Belgium, Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), Portuguese Vegetarian Association (Associação Portuguesa Vegetariana), Vegan Action (US), Vegan Outreach (US), and over a dozen other professionals.[1]
While most omnivores get barely enough B-12 to function (since animal products usually contain at least a very tiny amount of B-12, aside from honey which contains none), vegans who do not supplement or regularly eat fortified foods are at risk of getting virtually no B-12 at all because there is no safe and reliable vegan source aside from supplementation (not seaweed, not algae, not organic vegetables; some have traces, but also have B-12 analogues that interfere with absorption, and none enough to reliably correct deficiency), and this can lead to serious complications like nerve damage if not recognized and treated immediately (High folate consumption can mask the earlier signs of deficiency like megaloblastic anemia).
Please do not compromise the health benefits of a vegan diet by doing something foolish like neglecting a simple, cheap, and safe and reliable supplement.
B-12 stores
It's true that some people have large B-12 stores and can go vegan and then wait many years without supplementing, subsisting on their body's stored up B-12 from when they were omnivores.
But consider this: If we know that even most omnivores are borderline deficient, how is it that new vegans would have any reserves to draw from?
The answer: They probably don't.
If you were a regular consumer of beef liver as an omnivore and just went vegan, you may in fact have plenty of B-12 stored up to last you years. But if you ate a typical omnivore diet, you were probably already borderline deficient, or possibly already deficient in B-12. In the latter case, you will have no stores to fall back on, and you should supplement immediately to be safe. Even if you ate a significant amount of liver, B-12 absorption varies by individual and that is not guarantee. There is no test for B-12 storage, so the only guarantee against deficiency is to have a regular and reliable source of B-12.
B-12 Testing
To make matters worse, because of the often high levels of B-12 analogues (fake B-12) in vegan diets from foods like seaweed, a typical B-12 blood test is not reliable. The only reliable test, a test for Methylmalonic Acid levels, is not common and is something you would probably have to pay for out-of-pocket. There's no reason to waste money on a blood test when:
- Supplements are cheaper than the blood test, at pennies a day
- If you have no B-12 source, we already know your levels will be low or will soon become low as your minimal stores are depleted (there is no test for B-12 storage, and because you won't be testing every week a normal test result could give you a false sense of security).
- Excess B-12 is harmless (it's actually one of the safest vitamins there are) Megadoses (well in excess of that required) may create mild acne-like symptoms, but reducing the dose to a normal level will reverse this.
If you are supplementing and you want a test for peace of mind, then you can order a MMA test to confirm your supplements are working.
Recommendations
B-12 absorption is is better in small amounts, spread out over time.
Jack Norris of Veganhealth.com has a convenient table for reference[2] <img src="https://philosophicalvegan.com/images/b12rec.jpg">
If you are supplementing daily, 100 mcg is adequate (and can be found in some vegan multivitamins). If you are supplementing only twice a week, you will need 1,000 mcg each time (also a common supplement) which averages to almost 300 mcg a day. Larger doses like this slightly increase the risk of minor acne-like side effects, which can be eliminated by taking smaller supplements more frequently.
The science so far is pretty conclusive: the recommended form is cyanocobalamin because it is very stable and reliable. Other forms may be less stable. The trace of cyanide in 100 mcg of B-12 is not harmful, and it is comparable to the natural levels of cyanide in other healthy foods like almonds, but is actually safer than those forms because B-12 binds and neutralizes cyanide preventing acute effect even from huge doses. Even without the B-12, you would need thousands of times the amount to pose a risk (the dose makes the poison).
B-12 shots are not recommended. A pill poses no risk, while a shot can (in a freak accident) hit a nerve and cause serious damage. Vegans using shots for B-12 also mislead people into thinking they need to get shots to go vegan, and this has been used as a reason not to go vegan (fear of needles is very common).
Vitamin D
This isn't just a vegan issue, everybody needs Vitamin D. While it is true that your body can make it from sunlight pretty easily IF you get enough direct and intense sunlight, sun based production has a few serious drawbacks in terms of safety and reliability:
- Skin Cancer Risk
"Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.1-2"
While it is possible that some dietary factors (like eating more vegetables) may slightly reduce skin cancer risk, being vegan alone, or any dietary measure (including a tomato only diet to maximize lycopene) is not a reliable way to protect you from skin cancer.
"Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.3-4"
-American Academy of Dermatology[3]
"Because exposure to UV light is the most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers,6 the American Academy of Dermatology encourages everyone to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and using a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of 30 or higher."
- Darker Skin Produces Less, as does wearing sunscreen (as recommended to prevent skin cancer)
To be clear, if you're out in the sun for more than a few minutes, particularly in the summer, and you have light skin you should be using sunscreen (a physical zinc-based sunscreen is probably optimal, since chemical sunscreens have to be reapplied every couple hours). BUT sunscreen does in theory limit vitamin D production by blocking UVB rays (in practice, people out in the sun for a long time will probably still produce enough). There's no way to completely cheat the system here; if you're producing adequate vitamin D form the sun, you're also increasing your risk of skin cancer. - Low UV regions and times of year can lead to inadequate production.
High Latitudes, Winter, and cloudy seasons are all issues. Air pollution is even an issue (it scatters and absorbs UVB). When attempting to get adequate vitamin D production from the sun, it's important to know the UV index, and this can be hard to keep track of. Some days you may literally need to spend hours outside, or for some people, you may need more hours of sunlight than the day is long. Your needs and the ability of the sun in your area to meet them are not easy to predict.
This is not a unique issue for vegans, most animal products "naturally" contain very little vitamin D. However, some common non-vegan products on the market like cow milk and some breakfast cereals are often fortified with added vitamin D3 (usually animal based), and vegans don't always drink fortified plant milks or eat fortified cereal. Because of this, vegans can be at a higher risk for low vitamin D levels if they do not supplement or get adequate sun exposure for their skin types, which can result in a feeling of being generally unwell/having low energy even in levels below clinical deficiency. [more info here]
There is one vegan food that can contain vitamin D without being fortified: UV exposed mushrooms. However, this is not likely to be a practical or reliable source for most people. Not only are they inordinately expensive as a vitamin D source, but it's not clear how much vitamin D is going to be present in the mushrooms due to type, duration of exposure, and how long it has been since the mushrooms were exposed and the storage conditions. It's also not clear how well the vitamin D in mushrooms would be absorbed since it may depends on other variables like food preparation and even how well you chew your food.
Oysters are also a source of vitamin D for ostrovegans, but come with many of the same issues as mushrooms in terms of variability.
The cheapest and most reliable source is supplementation.
Most multivitamins are a good option. Vegan multivitamins usually contain D2, which is an adequate source.
Vitamin D2 is plant based Vitamin D3 is usually derived from lanolin, or sheep wool grease There is vegan D3 on the market derived from lichen, but it's not used in any fortified foods yet
Animal derived vitamin D3 in food or supplements is probably an issue of least concern in terms of animal welfare. See trace animal products and byproducts. If you can only find non-vegan vitamin D3, remember this is a tiny trace of animal derived ingredient; it would be better to take this and otherwise stay vegan, and be a healthy vegan, rather than not take it and feel bad risking recidivism or ill health (you can't do much to help the animals if you aren't healthy).
If you already get ample sun exposure due to your current lifestyle check your local UV index against your skin type: you probably don't need to supplement vitamin D, although it would still be a good idea to start reducing exposure, wearing more sunscreen, and supplementing instead if that is an option for you. If you do not get much sun exposure, it would be ill advised to go out of your way to get more sun exposure for vitamin D production when supplements are easier and safer.
