MORE ABOUT MINERALS
In my previous posts, we made our way through the 13 essential vitamins – Vitamins A, C, D, E and K – and the seven B vitamins. Now it’s time to take a closer look at minerals. But first, a few things to keep in mind while reading this article:
Vitamins are essential nutrients that come from living things, while minerals are essential nutrients that are found in the earth. Learn more at Pharmacy Times.
There are two types of minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals. The human body needs larger amounts of macrominerals in order to perform at its best. The seven macrominerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Learn more at MedlinePlus.
The amount of trace minerals that our bodies require is significantly less than microminerals. The eight trace minerals are iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. Learn more at MedlinePlus.
Main minerals for a plant-based lifestyle
It’s no secret that leading a plant-based lifestyle has many benefits including various minerals. However, those who practice a plant-based lifestyle are at risk for being deficient in calcium, iron, iodine and zinc. I thought for this post I would focus on these minerals as well as ways you can add them into your diet to limit risk of deficiency. Now, let’s chisel away at these minerals!
Calcium
When you think of calcium, you might think of milk, cheese and strong bones. Calcium is a mineral stored in teeth and bones and is needed to make sure muscle movement, nerve function, hormone function and enzyme activity are all at their peak.
While calcium can be a difficult mineral to consume adequately when eating plant-based, there are plenty of plant sources that can help you add more calcium into your diet. Kale, broccoli and Chinese cabbage are great sources of calcium. Other sources can include foods that are fortified with calcium, such as cereals, fruit juices, soy and rice milks and tofu.
The current guidelines recommended that an adult male gets 1,000 mg of calcium per day and an adult woman gets 1,200 mg per day. Women need more because of their increased risk of osteoporosis, especially as they approach menopause. Other individuals that typically need more calcium are pregnant women, breastfeeding women and children.
Unfortunately, many people just don’t get enough of this critical mineral in their daily diet. For these individuals, calcium supplements, like calcium carbonate or calcium citrate, can be a way to make sure they get enough.
Calcium carbonate is found in supplements such as Caltrate and Viactiv Calcium Chews. These supplements require stomach acid for absorption so it is best to take them with food. Also, calcium carbonate supplements tend to be less expensive than their counterpart. It is also the calcium that is found in antacids, such as Tums and Rolaids.
Calcium citrate is absorbed more easily than calcium carbonate and does not need to be taken with food. Citracal is one product that is on the market. There are also many generic versions.
If you purchase a calcium supplement, some may have Vitamin D in them as well. Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption. Here are two tips to be mindful of when considering adding a calcium supplement to your daily routine.
Keep in mind that there is only so much calcium our bodies can absorb at one time. Usually 500 to 600 mg at a time is the maximum. Therefore, you may need to take your pills two to three times daily to help your body absorb as much calcium as possible.
If you have a history of high blood pressure or heart disease, be sure to talk with your doctor before starting a calcium supplement. There are some reports of concerns about how calcium can impact people with existing cardiovascular disease.
Want to get a deeper dive into calcium? Check out the National Institutes of Health and Harvard Health Publishing.
Iron
Iron is a key player in making hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that brings oxygen to the lungs and other vital organs, and myoglobin, a protein that brings oxygen to our muscles. The amount of iron you need depends on various things, including diet. Consuming a plant-based diet means you need 1.8 times more iron than omnivores – typically 32 milligrams per day for vegan women and 15 milligrams per day for vegan men.
Why the increase? The body does not absorb the iron from plants as well as the iron derived from animal products. There are two types of iron in foods, nonheme and heme. Animal products have nonheme and heme iron while plant-based products only have non-heme iron. Plant-based foods can include iron-fortified cereals, breads, white beans, lentils, spinach, kidney beans, peas, nuts, tofu, tempeh, dried fruits and raisins. Blackstrap molasses is considered one of the best sources of nonheme iron. However, it does contain higher amounts of sugar than other foods.
Plant-based sources of iron are absorbed better if you eat it with foods rich in Vitamin C, such as oranges, lemons, strawberries, broccoli and bell peppers. So, eating a strawberry spinach salad or a white bean hummus with lemon can not only taste good, but also maximize the iron you get out of it!
Of course, you can always take iron as a supplement as well. There are various types of iron on the market. Carbonyl iron, ferrous fumarate, ferrous sulfate and ferrous gluconate are all types of iron supplements. They differ in the amount of elemental iron they contain. Carbonyl iron has the greatest elemental iron availability and is typically tolerated fairly well.
If you are taking multiple different supplements, keep in mind that calcium can actually limit the iron that you absorb. So, if you take an iron supplement, consider taking it WITH your Vitamin C to improve absorption, but NOT with your calcium supplement to make sure nothing is getting in the way of you getting what you need.
To learn more about iron, visit the National Institutes of Health.
Iodine
Iodine is one of those microminerals that are at risk for deficiency in those following a plant-based lifestyle. Iodine is critical for thyroid function. It is also important for metabolism as well as bone and brain development in a growing fetus.
Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of iodine, but there are some plant-based sources. Seaweed is a fantastic source of iodine. Other foods that iodine can be found in are strawberries, potatoes, green beans, bananas, prunes, cranberries, corn, navy beans, lima beans and iodized salt. Many processed foods, which tend to have a lot of salt, typically do not have iodized salt in them. Also, sea salt, kosher salt, and Himalayan salt do not have iodine in them. Sadly, my sea salt potato chip obsession would not be considered an adequate source of iodine supplementation.
To further complicate things, not only is iodine not in a lot of plant-based foods, certain staples in plant-based eating work against absorbing iodine. Foods such as flaxseed, soy, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can actually impede the absorption of iodine. Iodine deficiency can lead to goiters (enlargement of the thyroid gland), hypothyroid, weight gain, hair loss, dry skin and depression.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Learn more about iodine, visit the National Institutes of Health, Future Kind and Tofu Bud.
Zinc
Zinc is found in some foods, added to others and also taken as a supplement. This trace mineral is beneficial for our immune systems and helpful for growth and development in pregnancy and childhood. Wound healing has also been linked to zinc. Although zinc is found in beans, nuts, whole grains, and fortified cereals, other things in a plant-based diet can hinder the absorption of zinc.
Plant-based eaters tend to eat greater amounts of legumes and whole grains, some of which contain phytates, or antioxidants that bind zinc and inhibit its absorption. Soaking your beans, grains and seeds in water for several hours before cooking can improve zinc absorption.
Also, eating more leavened grain products, such as bread, as opposed to unleavened products, such as crackers, can help to improve zinc absorption. Leavening partially breaks down phytates which helps your body absorb zinc.
Want to get a deeper dive into zinc? Check out the National Institutes of Health.
The wrap up
Calcium, iron, iodine and zinc are just a few macrominerals and trace minerals. If you want to learn more about the other minerals, click here to view a full summary.
So, what the take home message? Even with a well-balanced, diverse plant-based diet, it can be difficult to get in all of the recommend amounts of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. But, being mindful of what we eat and adding variety can go a long way in getting what we need out of the food that we eat.
Key supplements that one might want to consider with a plant-based diet are Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, iron, calcium, iodine, zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids. We will talk about Omega-3-fatty acids in our herbal discussion. Looking for a good multivitamin that incorporates these things, or choosing an individual supplement for what you may be lacking, is a great place to start. Remember, always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplements.
Well, that’s all for today. Next time, we will explore a few herbal supplements.
