Best food diet: 7 nutrients can not be obtained from plant-based foods

Through an apple Unhappy eat People designed to eat both plant foods and animal foods.

Or completely eliminate, we run the risk of a lack of essential nutrients.

This article does not list the seven nutrients from plant foods commonly consumed can be obtained.

Vegetarians and vegans may need to supplement with some of them in order to maintain optimal health.

1. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient in virtually no plant foods found.

Also known as vitamin B12 cobalamin a water-soluble nutrient in the development of red blood cells is involved in the maintenance of normal nerve and brain function.

Without supplements or fortified foods, vegetarians B12 deficiency are at high risk for vitamin ( 1 ).

It is mainly in foods of animal origin, as found fish ^[1] , meat, dairy products and eggs ^[2] ( 2 ).

lacto-ovo can get adequate amounts of vitamin B12 dairy products ^[3] and eggs, but this is much more difficult for vegans ( 3 ).

For this reason, vegans an increased risk for vitamin B12 that some vegetarians ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ).

The signs, symptoms and risks of deficiency include:

Weakness, fatigue ( 8 ).
Disorders of brain function ( 9 ).
A variety of neurological disorders ( 10 ).
Psychiatric disorders ( 11 ).
Neurological disorders in infants of lactating mothers ( 12 ).
Megaloblastic ^[4] ( 13 ).
Possible connections, Alzheimer's disease ( 14 ).
Possible links to heart disease ( 15 ).

Vegans should obtain vitamin B12 through supplements or fortified foods or certain types of algae.

Many processed foods enriched with vitamin B12. These include Fortress yeast extracts, soya ^[5] substitute products, breakfast cereals, bread and meat ( 3 , 16 ).

In addition, some plant foods naturally contain small amounts of vitamin B12 bioactive. These include:

Nori ^[6] , a kind of seaweed ( 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ).
Tempeh ^[7] , a fermented soybean ( 21 , 22 ).

Nori seaweed is considered the most appropriate source of bioavailable vitamin B12 for vegetarians ( 23 ).

Note that raw nori or freeze dried better than conventional. It seems that a part of vitamin B12 is in the process of the drying (destroyed 19 , 24 , 25 ).

Other plant foods often contain vitamin B12 states that Spirulina ^[8] . But supposedly it contains spirulina pseudo vitamin B12, which are not biologically available. Therefore, it is not as a source of vitamin B12 (suitable 26 ).

Conclusion: Vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin and certain types of algae. Vegan vitamin B12 obtained by taking supplements, eating fortified foods or food Nori.

2. Creatine

Creatine ^[9] , it is found a molecule in food of animal origin.

Most of it is stored in the muscles, but also concentrated significant amounts in the brain.

Serves as a stored energy easily acessible to the muscle cells, giving them more strength and endurance ( 27 ).

For this reason it is one of the most popular in the world of muscle building supplements.

Studies have shown that creatine supplementation can both muscle mass and strength (increase 28 ).

Creatine is not essential in the diet because they are produced by the liver. However, vegetarians have lower levels of creatine in your muscles ( 29 ).

Placing people who led to follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet for 26 days to a significant decrease in muscle creatine ( 30 ).

Because creatine is present in all plant foods, vegetarians and vegans find not take dietary supplements.

In vegetarians creatine supplementation can have significant advantages. These include:

Improve exercise capacity ( 29 ).
Improvement in the brain function ( 31 , 32 ).

Many of these effects are stronger in vegetarians than meat eaters. For example, vegetarians take creatine significant improvements in the functioning of the brain to learn, whereas meat eaters see no difference ( 31 ).

Conclusion: Creatine is a bioactive compound missing in vegetarian diets. It plays an important role in the brain and muscle function.

3. Carnosine

Carnosine is an antioxidant ^[10] acting on the muscles and the brain (Focus 33 , 34 ).

Unhappy girl with banana

It is very important for muscle function, and a high degree of carnosine in muscle reduces muscle fatigue and improved performance (with reference 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ).

Carnosine is found only in animal foods. However, it is not essential, as are formed in the body of amino acids histidine and beta-alanine.

Food sources of beta-alanine, such as meat or fish, can also contribute significantly to the levels of muscle carnosine way.

Vegetarians also have less carnosine in muscles that meat eaters ( 39 , 40 ).

The Beta-Alanine supplementation increases carnosine levels in muscle ( 35 , 41 , 42 , 43 ) to increase the improvement of strength and muscle mass ( 44 , 45 ).

Beta-alanine supplements are available online Vegan.

Conclusion: Carnosine is found in a nutrient food of animal origin. It is important for the muscle function. Beta-alanine supplements are effective in increasing the levels of muscle carnosine.

4. The cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)

Vitamin D ^[11] is an important nutrient that has many important functions.

Vitamin D deficiency associated with an increased risk of various adverse conditions. These include:

Osteoporosis, increased risk of fractures in the elderly ( 46 ).
Cancer ( 47 ).
Heart disease ( 48 , 49 ).
Multiple sclerosis ( 50 ).
Depression ( 51 ).
Altered brain function ( 52 ).
Muscle loss and reduced strength, especially in the elderly ( 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ).

Osteoporosis (weak bones) and rickets (bone deformities) are the known effects of vitamin D deficiency What vitamin D deficiency contributes to other conditions, or are currently connected with them, it's less clear.

Also known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D should not come from the diet. It can be generated from our own skin when exposed to sunlight. If sunlight is limited, but we have to food (or supplements) to get.

There are two types of vitamin D in the diet, ergocalciferol (D2) in plants and cholecalciferol (D3) of animal origin are found in foods found.

Of the two types of vitamin D, cholecalciferol (animal) is much stronger than ergocalciferol. In other words, it increases the blood level of biologically active vitamin D much more effective ( 57 , 58 , 59 ).

Cholecalciferol The best sources are fatty fish and egg yolks. Other sources include supplements of cod liver oil or fortified foods such as milk or cereals ( 60 ).

Conclusion: cholecalciferol (D3) is a type of vitamin D in food of animal origin, especially oily fish. It is much more efficient than the plant form of vitamin D, ergocalciferol (D2).

5. docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an essential omega-3 fatty acid.

It is important for the normal development of the brain and the function ( 61 ).

DHA deficiency may have adverse effects on mental health and brain function, especially in children ( 62 , 63 ).

In addition, inadequate intake of DHA during pregnancy brain development in children (affects 64 ).

It is mainly in oily fish and fish oil, but also in some types of microalgae.

In the body, DHA can also be made from omega-3 fatty acid ALA in, found in large quantities flaxseed ^[12] , chia seeds ^[13] and nuts ^[14] ( 65 , 66 , 67 ).

However, the conversion of ALA in inefficient DHA ( 68 , 69 ). Therefore, vegetarians and vegans tend to be lower in DHA than meat eaters ( 70 , 71 , 72 ).

Can receive this important vegans, dietary supplements (algae oil) in certain microalgae (fatty take 73 , 74 , 75 ).

Conclusion: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) an omega-3 fatty acid is found in oily fish and fish oil. It will also be in micro-algae, which found a food source for vegetarians.

6. heme iron

Heme iron is a type of iron is found in meat, particularly red meat ^[15] .

A little girl to eat meat

It is much better absorbed than non-heme iron in plant foods ( 76 ).

Not only heme iron is well absorbed, but also increases the absorption of non-heme iron from plant foods. This phenomenon is not fully understood, and "meat-factor".

Unlike the non-heme iron, heme iron is not the anti-nutritional factors such as affected phytic acid ^[16] , which are often found in plant foods.

Therefore, vegetarians and vegans are more prone to anemia than meat eaters, especially women and people to macrobiotic diet ( 5 , 77 ).

Conclusion: meat, especially red meat, contains a type of iron called heme iron that is better absorbed than non-heme iron from plant foods.

7. Taurine

Taurine is a sulfur compound which is (is found in various body tissues, including the brain, heart and kidney 78 ).

The function of taurine in the body are not very clear.

However, it seems (may play a role in muscle function 79 ), the formation of bile salts ( 80 ) and antioxidant defenses of the body ( 81 , 82 ).

Taurine supplementation can have multiple benefits for heart health, such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure (have 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 ).

Taurine is found only in animal foods such as fish, seafood, meat, poultry and dairy products (found 88 ).

It is essential in the diet, since small amounts are produced by the body. However, taurine food can play an important role in maintaining the levels of taurine in the body.

Taurine levels are significantly lower than in meat-eaters vegetarians ( 89 , 90 ).

Conclusion: Taurine is a sulfur compound which has many important functions in the body. It is found only in animal foods.

Best food diet

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

7 nutrients can not be obtained from plant-based foods