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As a vegetarian or vegan (or a health conscious individual), fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouts, and seeds should be your primary sources of nutrients. If you sleep well, are stress-free, live in a clean environment, and are dead-sure that you are meeting all your daily nutritional requirements through food alone, then you probably don’t need to supplement. Otherwise, it would be a very prudent move to consult with your physician or dietitian about including natural plant-based, gelatin/animal ingredient-free supplements as a part of your daily nutritional plan. To help you get there, we have come up with a pretty amazing list of supplements which you can look into before speaking with a professional.
| Supplement | Why you may need it | Brands to try |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Daily multi-vitamins | Sometimes, eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday still isn’t enough to halt oxidative damage, especially if you breathe polluted air, don’t sleep on time, don’t sleep enough, and are experiencing low to moderate stress. Taking a potent multi-vitamin can be a cheap insurance policy that will give your body the support it needs to achieve and maintain internal balance. | DEVA Vegan Multivitamin and Mineral Rainbow Light - Energizer One Multivitamin Freeda Quintabs High Potency 1-A-Day Multivitamin Pure Advantage Womens Multivitamin GummiKing Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Gummi VeganLife Multivitamin VegLife Vegan Multivitamin |
| 2. Vitamin B12 | This is the vitamin that opponents of veganism wield against a plant-based diet. Due to soil mineral depletion, B12 cannot be obtained from most plant sources anymore. You can get it via vitamin B12 fortified plant products such as nutritional yeast, plant milks, cereals, etc., but if you're not sure you're meeting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), taking a cobalamin supplement can help vegans avoid neurological, cardiac, and immunity problems that can be brought on by B12 deficiency. | Garden of Life Vitamin Code RAW B-12 Nutrasumma Vitamin B-12 Spray DEVA Vegan Sublingual B-12 Pure Vegan B12 Spray Pure Advantage B12 Spray Jarrow Formulas B-12 Lozenges Wonderlabs Sublingual B-12, B6, Folic Acid and Biotin |
| 3. Vitamin D | Unfortunately, mushrooms are the only natural vegan food source of vitamin D. A lot of people also don’t have time for sun exposure in early mornings, the only time of the day when it is safe to bask under the sun without having to worry about increasing your risk for melanoma. Taking a vegan vitamin D supplement would therefore be a practical choice to obtain sufficient levels of this immunity-boosting and bone-strengthening vitamin. | Freeda D2 LifeGive Sun D VegLife Vegan D DEVA Vegan Vitamin D |
| 4. Vitamin E | Nuts, seeds and vegetable oils contain significant amounts of Vitamin E, so you should be meeting your RDA (15mg) for this heart and skin-friendly vitamin. However, if your physician recommends, you may need to take a vegan tocopherol supplement. | NuTru E-Toca Chi2 Solgar Liquid Vitamin E Garden of Life Vitamin Code RAW Vitamin E Freeda Vegan Vitamin E Tablets NOW Natural Vitamin E Liquid |
| 5. Calcium | With regular exercise, and a well-balanced alkaline diet, you have a much better chance of avoiding bone disease compared to the milk-slugging omnivore. However, if you are concerned that you are not getting enough calcium in your diet or about osteoporosis and osteopenia, talk with your physician about vegan calcium supplements. | Solaray Chewables Freeda NOW Foods Garden of Life |
| 6. Digestive enzymes | Cooking vegetables and pasteurizing fruits, nuts, and seeds result in the death of food enzymes, which are the protein catalysts that help metabolize macronutrients present in the food. Cellulase, the enzyme that digests fiber present in all whole plant foods, also can get killed off during the cooking process. The human body cannot make its own cellulase, so if you're not consuming enough raw, fresh food in your diet, you should talk to your physician or dietitian about obtaining it through supplements. Digestive enzymes help break down hard to digest and gas-forming foods such as beans, nuts, and seeds, so taking an enzyme supplement with every meal may also help you lessen your own methane emission! | VegLife Peaceful Digestion Pure Vegan Digestive Enzyme Complex DEVA Vegan Digestive Support Futurebiotics Vegetarian Enzyme Complex |
| 7. Probiotics | Beneficial bacteria do not just help your body fight pathogens and increase your immunity against disease; these good guys also help digest your food, prevent gas, and manufacture certain B and K vitamins in your gut. | Freeda More Dophilus Acidophilus Powder LifeGive BioticGuard Rainbow Light ProbioActive |
| 8. Spirulina | This blue-green algae is a great blood purifier and is one of the highest plant-based sources of protein on the face of the planet. Spirulina can help protect you from disease and boost your energy for several hours, minus the crash associated with popular stimulants. | Solgar Advanced Acidophi NOW Organic Spirulina Mega Green Mix Spirulina HealthForce Nutritionals Spirulina Pure Planet Hawaiian Spirulina |
| 9. Chlorella | Aside from being a highly alkalizing, nutrient-dense supplement, chlorella also chelates heavy metals and other toxins so your body can safely and efficiently get rid of them. If you have amalgam fillings, live in a polluted city, or eat non-organic fruits and vegetables, you can be sure that you have heavy metals floating around in your bloodstream. | Jarrow Formulas Organic Chlorella Tablets NOW Foods Chlorella Powder Starwest Botanicals Chlorella Capsules LifeGive Chlorella |
| 10. Omega-3 | A plant-based diet (especially if it is high in processed foods and oils) can sometimes lean towards a heavier consumption of omega-6 fats, which can cause nutritional imbalances. Supplementing with a flax oil supplement will help ensure that your body receives optimal amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which your body needs for weight maintenance, skin and heart health, and proper immune function. | DEVA Organic Flax Oil Capsules Vega Antioxidant EFA Oil Blend V-Pure Omega-3 |
This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult with your physician and dietitian regarding your specific health and dietary needs before taking any supplements.
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