Are Supplements a Replacement for a Balanced, Healthy Vegan Diet?

By Published On: 7 May 2013Last Updated: 17 January 2017

Are vitamin and mineral supplements cutting it if you're not eating a healthy, balanced diet? Anya Todd weighs in with some advice.

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QI don’t really eat such a balanced/healthy vegan diet, but I do take supplements every day. Is that fine? I take a multivitamin, vitamin C, D, iron + B12, and magnesium. Sincerely, SW

Dear SW,

Nothing can replace a balanced diet. If you aren’t eating well, supplementing with various vitamins and minerals is not a terrible thing to do; however, I would rather you evaluate what is keeping you from eating well in the first place. Basic food preferences? Poor planning of meals? Time management issues? Eating ‘real food’ is ideal over supplements because food has so many nutrients, like phytochemicals & fiber, which you will be missing due to your supplement dependency. Not eating a balanced diet is typically indicative of a diet rich in sugar, fat & salt, none of which we need in excess and can lead to chronic disease development.

I am glad to see that you are taking Vitamin B12, which is definitely the exception in the case of whether to supplement or not. All vegans should take a supplement form of this nutrient or consume a few daily servings of fortified foods. Vitamin D supplement could be needed if you live in a crummy climate like Cleveland (as I do) and are not receiving adequate sunlight throughout the year. And there is some discussion that vegans should be supplementing with DHA, which is a form of omega 3 fatty acid obtained through microalgae and assists in brain and cardiovascular health. Research has shown vegans have “low normal” levels compared to omnivores, so there may be something to that – more investigation is needed.

Keeping supplements at low level doses is likely not harmful; however, there is always the risk of overdoing it. Iron is a mineral that could accumulate rapidly in some individuals who are supplementing, so I typically do not recommend its use unless lab work has been conducted to indicate a deficiency and normalizing your blood levels is not being reached via dietary modifications.

I think your overall goal should be to incorporate a variety of whole foods into your everyday diet so that you don’t need to depend on supplements, minus the ones I mentioned above, to ensure your nutritional status. Plus, eating good food trumps popping vitamin and mineral pills any day.

Photo credit: douneika via Flickr

4 Comments

  1. Anya Todd RD, LD May 8, 2013 at 4:52 pm - Reply

    LL – I agree we should try to aim for organic, non-GMO foods; however, I am a staunch proponent of vitamin B12 supplementation, especially with deficiency possibly producing irreversible consequences. And yes, thankfully vitamin D has been easy to soak up in the recent days here in Cleveland, but winter can be rather gloomy and gray – and not always provide an individual with what he/she needs.

  2. LL Vegan May 8, 2013 at 8:32 am - Reply

    I try to get all my vitamins from organic, non-GMO foods. Eating a mostly raw diet I am very concerned with getting untampered natural foods. I think it is odd to see half of the floor space in our Health Food store dedicated to suppliments. I hope seeking proper nutrition outside of the pill bottle is the best thing to do.

    And hey, Cleveland had beautiful weather this past weekend!

  3. Anya Todd RD, LD May 7, 2013 at 9:27 pm - Reply

    Aurora – Good question! Probiotics are definitely “trendy” when it comes to food marketing these days. Often referred to as “good bacteria,” these microorganisms can help bring balance back to the GI tract. So, people with conditions related to GI disorders (IBS, diarrhea, etc), as well as those taking meds that can affect the gut’s well-being (antibiotics, birth control pills, steroids), would likely benefit from the use of probiotics. I would encourage people to discuss the use with their health care provider.

    As far as the need to supplement a “healthy gut” – I think the research is still out to say definitely one way or the other. That being said, studies show few side effects (though long-term studies are lacking). Fermented foods, like miso & tempeh, contain probiotics – and are tastier (& more nutritious) than just taking a probiotic supplement.

  4. Aurora Cooney May 7, 2013 at 5:59 pm - Reply

    I whole heartily agree. What are your feeling on Probiotics that seems to be the new “must include” supplement? Just curious.

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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

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