Part VI of Dr. Quinn Hand's Series, Understanding the Vegetarian Diet!

Don't Forget These Other Important Nutrients (see chart below for more information).

Iodine

Iodine is a very important nutrient when it comes to thyroid function.  Iodine is the primary mineral used to make thyroid hormone.  The thyroid is the driving force behind metabolism and without iodine it can become sluggish. 

Calcium/Vitamin D

Some vegans may become concerned that due to lack of dairy, they will become calcium and vitamin D deficient. The good news is, that many vegetarian foods are rich calcium sources – think tofu, almonds, green leafy veggies. Also, there is some evidence to suggest that animal protein may cause calcium loss in the urine. So, by not eating meat, vegetarians and vegans may preserve calcium in the body.  However, this research is inconclusive and other studies suggest protein intake is required to promote calcium absorption. As such, vegetarians/vegans should try to achieve calcium adequacy of 1000mg per day in adults 19-50 years of age and 1200mg in women over the age of 51 and men 70 years and older.

While many products are vitamin D fortified, the reality is that naturally occurring food sources of vitamin D are limited. Fatty fish is the best dietary source of vitamin D and even then it isn’t abundant. Thus, omnivores and vegetarians alike are best to head out in the sun or take a vitamin D supplement. In particular, those of us that live in the northern hemisphere where we don’t get enough sunlight eight months of the year to allow adequate vitamin D production in the skin, can benefit from vitamin D supplementation.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Anything labeled “essential” means that the human body can’t make it and it must be obtained via diet. This is true of our EFAs – we require Omega-3 and Omega-6. Sources of Omega-3 include: flax, hemp, canola, soybean, walnut, safflower, sunflower, dark leafy greens and fish oil. Sources of Omega-6 include: safflower, sunflower, hemp, soybean, walnut, pumpkin, flax and sesame. EFAs are critical to cell membrane function, improving cell communication, and they play an important role in the balance of inflammation in the body. They confer cardiovascular, neurological, eye and skin health benefits. Two of the more critical omega-3 fatty acids are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), found preformed in fish and fish oil. Many of the health benefits attached to EFAs are a result of these two long-chain fatty acids. If humans aren’t ingesting DHA and EPA, preformed in fish or fish oil, the body needs to convert the omega-3 in vegetable sources. Unfortunately, we are not very good converters. However, for vegetarians, it is still critical to use sources of omega-3 such as flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, walnut, hemp, and pumpkin. Vegetarian algae sources of omega-3 can also be purchased. Algae oils provide high amount of naturally occurring DHA (that’s what the fish eat in the first place) and can be converted into EPA in smaller amounts.

Recognizing and Addressing Deficiencies in Vegetarian Diets

Deficiency	Possible Signs of Deficiency	Foods to Eat	Possible Supplements
Protein	Key building block for all cells and tissues, thus can affect entire body.  Symptoms include: fatigue, poor wound healing, brittle hair/nails, decreased immune function, swelling, muscle loss/wasting, difficulty building muscle	Lacto-ovo Eggs, dairy   All (vegans/veggies) Beans, legumes, nuts, seeds	Whey protein isolate powder  (lacto and lacto-ovo) or vegan protein powder,   Vegetarian/vegan friendly protein bars
Vitamin B12	Megaloblastic anemia (big red blood cells), weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, numbness and tingling in hands/feet, difficulty maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory, soreness of mouth/tongue	Lacto-ovo Eggs, dairy   All (vegans/veggies) B12 fortified cereals, soy products, beverages	500mcg per day has been shown to stop depletion and adequately maintain stores in vegetarians   A lower daily dose in a multivitamin or B-complex could also be sufficient   Over deficiency may require higher doses ranging from 1000-5000mcg/d
Iron	Anemia, paleness, fatigue, reduced ability to exercise, shortness of breath, frequent infections, brittle nails, decreased appetite, irritability, sore tongue/mouth, thinning hair/hair loss	Spinach and other leafy greens, tofu, beans, dried fruit, iron-fortified breads/cereals	Based on blood tests by your health care practitioner, recommended doses can be anywhere from 10-100mg, depending on deficiency status.   Vegetarian men should get 14mg/d and women 33mg/d to avoid deficiency
Iodine	Hypothyroidism, symptoms of which are fatigue, weight gain, depression, low body temperature, mental slowing, dry skin, hair and nails, and possibly goiter	Sea vegetables - kelp, hijiki, dulse, nori (seaweed)   Salt (iodized or naturally mineralized salts like Celtic sea salt)	Approximately 150mcg is required daily, but I do not typically recommend supplements unless there is overt deficiency. Sea vegetables are a safer more accessible source
Calcium	Bone density loss, muscle spasm	Lacto-ovo Dairy   All Green leafy veggies, almonds, tofu, tahini, fortified beverages/foods	Adults 19-50: 1000mg/d (including diet)   Women 51+/Men 70+: 1200mg
Vitamin D	Bone disease (rickets/osteomalacia), loss of bone density, muscle pain/weakness, increased risk of certain cancers, autoimmune disease, immune dysfunction	Lacto-ovo Fortified dairy   All SUNSHINE! Fortified beverages (soy/rice/almond)	Minimum: 1000IU/d
EFAs	Fatigue, dry skin/mouth/eyes/hair, depression, hypertension, increase risk of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disease	Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils	1-2 Tbsp (15-30mL) per day of omega-3 rich vegetable oils like flax seed oil OR 1-2 1000mg flax seed oil capsules   Evening Primrose oil can be added as a gamma linoleic acid source – 1000-2000mg (1-2 capsules)
Zinc (not discussed but included for completeness)	Loss of appetite, reduced taste sensation, impaired immune function, mental lethargy	Seeds, beans, legumes, whole grains, mushrooms, spinach, corn	15-50mg per day

Image source: natural-homeremedies.org, joanmorais.com

Welcome back to Webber Wednesday, with Part III of how to choose the right omega-3 products for adolescents, adults and seniors from Webber Naturals' expert, Dr. Stephanie Rubino.

Adolescents, Adults & Seniors:

• Benefits of Omega-3: Helps in psychiatric conditions, including depression, aggression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, and various medical conditions prevalent in later years, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and age-related macular degeneration.
• Psychiatric Health
  • Dosage Recommendation for Adults:1000 mg EPA per day, plus accompanying DHA dose
  • Product(s) Recommendation:
    • Omega-3 Emotions^TM (EPA 500 mg, DHA 70 mg)
    • Omega-3, 500 mg (EPA 300 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Omega–3 Enteric, No Fish Burps (EPA 400 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega-3, 900 mg (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg)

• Dosage Recommendation for Children (ages 2-5 and up):500-600 mg EPA per day, plus accompanying DHA dose
• Product(s) Recommendation:
  • Lemon Meringue Liquid Omega-3, Plus Vitamin A and 1000 IU Vitamin D (EPA 300 mg, DHA 400 mg)
  • Liquid Omega–3, Super Concentrate with Vitamins A & D (EPA 980 mg, DHA 545 mg)
  • Omega–3 KIDS, Orange Flavour (EPA 100 mg, DHA 50 mg)

• Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events:
  • Dosage Recommendation:300-600 mg of EPA and DHA per day
  • Product(s) Recommendation:
    • Omega–3 Fish Oils, 1000 mg (EPA 180 mg, DHA 120 mg)
    • Omega–3 Cardio, (EPA 200 mg, DHA 100 mg, ALA 265 mg)
    • Omega-3, 500 mg (EPA 300 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Omega–3 Enteric, No Fish Burps (EPA 400 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega-3, 900 mg (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg)

• Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events:
  • Dosage Recommendation:900-1200 mg EPA and DHA per day
  • Product(s) Recommendation:
    • Omega–3 Enteric, No Fish Burps, (EPA 400 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Omega–3 Super Concentrate, 1065mg (EPA 400 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega-3 (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega–3 with CoQ10 (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg/100 mg)

• Lowering Triglycerides:
  • Dosage Recommendation:3000-4000 mg EPA and DHA per day
  • Product(s) Recommendation:
    • Omega-3 & CoQ10 with Plant Sterols (417 mg/50 mg/370 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega-3 (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega–3 with CoQ10 (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg/100 mg)

• Inflammation:
  • Dosage Recommendation:2000-4000mg EPA and DHA per day.
  • Product(s) Recommendation:
    • Liquid Omega–3, Super Concentrate with Vitamins A & D (EPA 980 mg, DHA 545 mg)
    • Omega-3, 500 mg (EPA 300 mg, DHA 200 mg)
    • Triple Strength Omega-3 (EPA 600 mg, DHA 300 mg)

Visit us again next Wednesday for Part IV of Dr. Stephanie Rubino's tips on how to choose between Flax or Fish omega products and get the inside scoop on Ground Flax and Omega-9!

Image source: MyNetDiary Blog

Welcome back to Webber Wednesday, with Part II of how to choose the right omega-3 products for your toddlers and school-age children from Webber Naturals' expert, Dr. Stephanie Rubino.

Toddlers & School-Age Children:

• Benefits of Omega-3: Continues to develop a fully functional nervous system, including a healthy brain, healthy eyes and visual acuity, improves behaviour and learning disorders, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), promotes maturation of the immune system, reduces inflammatory conditions such as asthma, childhood depression, & type 1 diabetes, and supports a healthy weight and metabolism.
• Dosage Recommendation for Toddlers and School-Age Children:
  • For children ages 2 to 3, at least 400 mg of EPA and DHA per day.
  • For children over 4, at least 600 mg EPA and DHA per day.

• Product(s) Recommendation for Toddlers and School-Age Children :
  • Lemon Meringue Liquid Omega-3, Plus Vitamin A and 1000 IU Vitamin D (EPA 300 mg, DHA 400 mg)
  • Liquid Omega–3, Super Concentrate with Vitamins A & D (EPA 980 mg, DHA 545 mg)
  • Omega–3 KIDS, Orange Flavour (EPA 100 mg, DHA 50 mg)

Visit us again next Wednesday for Part III of Dr. Stephanie Rubino's tips on how to choose the best omega-3 product for adolescents, adults & seniors!

Image source: Serge the Concierge