If you are on a specific diet, especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you will be needing some extra love with your nutrients.
Even if you are super disciplined with your diet and conscious of what you eat, the chances are you will likely still be deficient on essential vitamins or nutrients. Particularly the ones that you normally get when you are plant based.
So thank goodness for things like plant based vitamins! These are naturally made vitamins that come from real ingredients from real food. There is a range of ways that you can get these plant based vitamins, including special subscriptions that are tailor made to what you specifically need.
But more important than just getting the plant based vitamins is the frequency of when you take them!
Each vitamin is different and you will need a different amount of dosage to give you the full benefits. We will break down the seven nutrients you should be getting in a plant based vitamin and how often you need to take it.
- Omega 3
This is one of the lesser known vitamins and minerals but is absolutely essential for vegetarians or vegans! Omega 3 plays a super important role in helping our vital organs operate correctly—including our eye sight and brain functionality. Normally, Omega 3 comes naturally through seafood. But plant based vitamins can provide the same type of Omega 3 through foods like flaxseed, chia seeds, soybeans, and seaweed. Omega 3 is a nutrient you don’t want to deplete yourself of, so make sure you are meeting your dosage quota every day!
- Iron
Did you know that your red blood cells can’t get oxygen through your body without iron? Yet it is one of the nutrients that vegetarians and vegans often find themselves depleted of. This is actually why many people who are vegetarian or vegan find themselves feeling really tired and fatigued—it is because they aren’t getting enough oxygen circulated throughout their bodies! Iron is normally found in meats and fish, but there is also a range of plant foods iron is found in as well. This includes broccoli, spinach, and foods rich in Vitamin C like citrus fruit! Even dark chocolate has iron in it, pretty cool! So there is a whole range of plant based ingredients that are used to make plant based vitamins full of iron, rest assured.
- Zinc
Without zinc, our bodies would not be able to heal or protect ourselves. Zinc is actually very common among a range of plant-based food items. These include things like beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and grains like quinoa. That is actually why a range of plant based vitamins use quinoa and pumpkin seeds as core ingredients! And you’ll want to ensure you have enough of this mineral in your body every single day, otherwise, your body will get progressively weaker.
- Calcium
Strong bones come from calcium, we all know that! But calcium is equally important for our blood circulation. Vegans in particular lack getting calcium naturally as this vitamin comes from dairy products. But there are of course a range of plants that also hold this vitamin, such as grains and chia seeds! Calcium is also a great vitamin to stock up on when you’re feeling sick, as it comes to the aid of your immune system and can enact quick results!
- Vitamin D
This vitamin helps us all with our cell growth and inflammation reduction. We can get our Vitamin D from both sunshine and animal products like fish and eggs. But plants also offer Vitamin D as well. Mushrooms, especially those that have been exposed to UV light, are full of Vitamin D! This plant based vitamin is good to take on the regular if you have dietary restrictions but also if you live in an area where you don’t see a whole lot of sunshine! Taking one of these vitamins daily will help you boost your mood and feel a whole lot better about life.
- Vitamin B12
This one is notorious for vegans and vegetarians, as it is really hard to get enough of it if you have cut out meat and/or dairy. But not to fret just yet, because plant based vitamins are here to save the day again. Using ingredients from nutritional yeast and seaweed, you can get a daily dose of Vitamin B12 and continue feeling healthy and energized all day long!
At the end of the day, plant-based vitamins work when you are disciplined about taking them. Ensuring you are consistent with your consumption of them and committed for the long run will ensure your body reaps the full health benefits of these incredible vitamins that are here to help us live a long and healthy life. Don’t forget to chat with your doctor too about the correct dosage and frequency!
