Mineral Deficiencies in Vegans
A healthy mind and a healthy body are both achievable with a carefully examined diet. In my last few posts in this Nutrition Series (proteins, fats, cholesterol, and vitamins), I discussed the roles of each nutrient and the importance of receiving them from both plant and animal products. The second micronutrient, minerals, is no exception. There are two classes of minerals: macrominerals (which are needed in the largest amounts), and trace minerals (which are still important to health, but we don’t need quite as much of). Here is a list of the main minerals we need in our diet:
Just like in vitamins, I’ll be focusing on the minerals best supplied by animal products for this article.
Calcium
Calcium is undoubtedly the most controversial mineral in the vegan vs. omnivore debate. One thing that cannot be argued, however, is that getting enough must be a high priority: it’s the most abundant mineral in the body. 99% of calcium is stored in bones and teeth, making them strong, but the other 1% is just as important as it is responsible for hormone secretion, contraction of muscles, and sending nerve messages. Hands down, the best source of calcium is from dairy products. It’s true that there are small amounts found in plant-based sources, such as kale, broccoli, and spinach, but they have poor bioavailability, meaning the compounds the calcium is found in is harder for our body to make use of. Furthermore, plants have an all around less amount of calcium. |
In an effort to push their agenda, vegan proponents have countered this imbalance of calcium supplied from animal vs. plant products by saying that milk is an “acidic protein” and that it leeches the calcium out of our bones. I’ll address this ludicrous claim in a future article that will specifically discuss dairy, but, for now, rest assured that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sources:
"Office of Dietary Supplements - Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 17 Nov. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Ross, Catharine, Christine L. Taylor, Ann L. Yaktine, and Heather B. Del Valle. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin
D." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Weaver, Connie M., and Munro Peacock. "Calcium." Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal. International
Advances in Nutrition, 01 May 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Sources:
"Office of Dietary Supplements - Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 17 Nov. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Ross, Catharine, Christine L. Taylor, Ann L. Yaktine, and Heather B. Del Valle. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin
D." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Weaver, Connie M., and Munro Peacock. "Calcium." Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal. International
Advances in Nutrition, 01 May 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus and protein go hand-in-hand, meaning that high protein foods, specifically meats, are the foods with high amounts of phosphorus. Also, phosphorus is more bioavailable in animal-derived foods than in plant-based sources, just like proteins. Failure to get enough (or failure to not be able to make use of enough, in the case of the non-bioavailable, plant-supplied phosphorus) causes both mental and physical problems including frail bones, joints, and muscles, fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability, and numb sensations. |
Photo from https://www.spineuniverse.com/amp/4901
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Beyond just not getting enough in the diet, phosphorus deficiency can be initiated by some medications and health conditions like diabetes or alcohol addiction. However, one thing to note about phosphorus is that too much of the wrong type can be just as dangerous as not enough. By “the wrong type,” I mean phosphorus that is artificially added to foods during processing. This additive form of phosphorus takes calcium from our bones and deposits it into blood vessels… something that, if left untreated, can have serious health consequences. Luckily, naturally-occurring phosphorus found in animal products does not have this issue.
Sources:
Ehrlich, Steven D., NMD. "Phosphorus." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 5 Aug.
2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
"Phosphorus and Your CKD Diet." The National Kidney Foundation. National Kidney Foundation, Inc., 03 Feb. 2017. Web. 12 Apr.
2017.
"Phosphorus." SpringerReference (n.d.): n. pag. Pittsburgh. Department of Veterans Affairs, June 2005. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Sources:
Ehrlich, Steven D., NMD. "Phosphorus." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 5 Aug.
2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
"Phosphorus and Your CKD Diet." The National Kidney Foundation. National Kidney Foundation, Inc., 03 Feb. 2017. Web. 12 Apr.
2017.
"Phosphorus." SpringerReference (n.d.): n. pag. Pittsburgh. Department of Veterans Affairs, June 2005. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Iron
There are two different kinds of iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is only found in animal products, is absorbed twice as fast as non-heme, and, as a result, 70% of the body’s iron should come from this hemoglobin-based form. Furthermore, a diet high in oxalates and phytates, chemical compounds only available in plant foods, blocks iron absorption. A study conducted by the Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Home Science MPUAT, in India found that 40% of vegetarian women were anemic, and the other 60% fell into the category of minor anemia. Although this study was limited to only women between the ages of 20 and 40 years old, 100% of the test subjects had symptoms of iron deficiency. |
Photo from https://hubpages.com/health/Symptoms-of-Iron-Deficiency-Overload-Heme-and-Non-Heme-Iron-Foods
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Many researchers believe that anemia is caused more often by the presence of oxalates and phytates than by the lack of dietary iron. The most common symptom of iron deficiency is anemia, and it’s no coincidence that anemia is one of the most suffered results of a vegan or even just vegetarian diet.
Sources:
Craig, W. J. "Iron Status of Vegetarians." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 01
May 1994. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Mahajani, Kamla, and Vibha Bhatnagar. "Comparative Study of Prevalence of Anaemia in Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian Women
of Udaipur City, Rajasthan." OMICS International. OMICS International, 29 June 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
"17 Surprising Benefits of Iron." Organic Facts. Organic Information Services Pvt Ltd., 10 Mar. 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Sources:
Craig, W. J. "Iron Status of Vegetarians." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 01
May 1994. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Mahajani, Kamla, and Vibha Bhatnagar. "Comparative Study of Prevalence of Anaemia in Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian Women
of Udaipur City, Rajasthan." OMICS International. OMICS International, 29 June 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
"17 Surprising Benefits of Iron." Organic Facts. Organic Information Services Pvt Ltd., 10 Mar. 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Zinc
In the Standard American Diet, the main food sources of zinc are red meat and poultry. Although not often consumed, oysters are actually the best food source. In the same way as iron, the high oxalate and phytate content of a plant-based diet inhibits the absorption of zinc, meaning that a vegan is likely deficient, not for lack of getting enough (beans and nuts contain fair amounts of the mineral—not as much as animal products, but enough if eaten in purposeful amounts), but because their bodies can’t make use of the zinc they do consume. |
Photo from http://www.pwnfitness.com/natural-sources-zinc-food/
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Also just like other minerals, zinc from animal tissues is more bioavailable than that from plants. The reason that this is a common theme in nutrition is because animal tissues are much more similar to our own; the animal’s body that the meat, milk, or eggs came from already converted the nutrient into a usable form so we don’t have to, allowing our digestive system to preserve resources and speed up bodily processes. Zinc deficiency, which causes growth impairment, delayed sexual maturity, issues during pregnancy, and a weakened immune system, is thought to be especially troublesome in children. Furthermore, a diet rich in zinc has been thought to cure HIV/AIDS and relieve the symptoms of diabetes and even a common cold!
Sources:
Gibson, Rosalind S., and And Anne-Louise M Heath. "Rosalind S Gibson." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. American
Society For Nutrition, 28 May 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Gibson, RS, AL Heath, and EA Szymlek-Gay. "Is Iron and Zinc Nutrition a Concern for Vegetarian Infants and Young Children in
Industrialized Countries?" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 12
Apr. 2017.
Ho, Emily, PhD. "Zinc." Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State Universtiy, 12 Feb. 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
"Office of Dietary Supplements - Zinc." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 11 Feb.
2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Sources:
Gibson, Rosalind S., and And Anne-Louise M Heath. "Rosalind S Gibson." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. American
Society For Nutrition, 28 May 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Gibson, RS, AL Heath, and EA Szymlek-Gay. "Is Iron and Zinc Nutrition a Concern for Vegetarian Infants and Young Children in
Industrialized Countries?" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 12
Apr. 2017.
Ho, Emily, PhD. "Zinc." Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State Universtiy, 12 Feb. 2017. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
"Office of Dietary Supplements - Zinc." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 11 Feb.
2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
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