How to Supplement a WFPB Diet
The science is in. There’s no question about it. Whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) eating is one of the healthiest ways to eat.
“Researchers have shown that a more plant-based diet may help prevent, treat, or reverse some of our leading causes of death, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.” says Courtney Davison in the “Plant Based Primer: The Beginners Guide to Whole-food, Plant-Based Diet” on Nutritionfacts.org. According to the Forks Over Knives website, “Many people also report bigger fitness payoffs, more energy, reduced inflammation, and better health outcomes after making the switch.
Boy! It sounds like this WFPB-eating thing is just this side of a miracle cure. Even if it’s not, it’s definitely the means to boost your health. But is merely changing your diet enough to make all this healing happen? Is this diet that powerful?…or does it require a little extra help?
The consensus among the biggest WFPB doctors is that this diet does need a minor assist from a few important supplements to give plant-based eaters the full nutritional balance all humans need.
Each of the authors of the leading WFPB diet plans out there makes his recommendation for which supplements should be taken as part of his program. Some lists are more extensive than others. I’ve looked at the details of five of these programs and have compiled a list of what I think are the supplements that you’d most benefit from adding to your eating regimen. Compare it to the recommendations made by your chosen program and use this info as a jumping-off point in deciding what supplements are best for you. Mentioning your plans to your personal physician isn’t a bad idea either.
- Whole Foods
Okay, so this isn’t a supplement. In fact, it’s the basis of your new lifestyle. However, I include it in this list because I need to make a point that most, if not all, of the WFPB gurus seem to agree on. Most of the nutrients you need will come from the foods you eat. Not from a pill.
“The tens of thousands of nutrients in plants,” Kip Esselsyn says in his book, The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet, “work synergistically to fight cancer and heart disease and countless other chronic diseases; You can’t merely isolate one specific nutrient and expect it to work wonders on its own.”
In other words, taking a vitamin C tablet is okay. It may even have some benefits, but it’s not going to give you anywhere near the same benefit as if you ate a couple of oranges or a kale salad. This is because along with the vitamin C, those oranges have other micronutrients that work with it to create a more powerful force to battle those diseases.
And the greater variety of plants you eat the better. Will Bulsiewicz, author of “Fiber Fueled,” calls this his“Golden Rule of Eating.”
“When you maximize plant-based diversity, you make a choice that grants you better health — you choose food that nourishes and sustains…” Busliewicz says. So remember, your focus should be on the foods you’re eating. Not the pills you’re taking. As Busliewics says, “Food comes first. Always”
2. Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin)
Vitamin B-12 isn’t found in plants and it isn’t produced in the body of humans or animals in a way that’s bio-available. You can get it by eating animal products because the animals get it the same way we used to. They come into contact with the bacterial residue found in soil and on foods, says Dr. Mc Dougall, author of “The Starch Solution.”
Of course, on a WFPB diet, we won’t be consuming animal products and because over-sanitation has become our normal way of life in the 21st century, we don’t come into contact with enough bacteria to get it that way either. That pretty much leaves us out in the cold when it comes to B-12, so supplementation is a must.
Making sure we get enough vitamin B-12 isn’t something to take lightly. A B-12 deficiency can have serious consequences. According to Dr. Michael Gregor, author of “How Not to Die” a B-12 deficiency can lead to paralysis, psychosis, blindness and even death.
To avoid these scary conditions, a WFPB eater should take between 200 and 500 micrograms of B-12 a day. Most supplements found in stores contain doses that are significantly higher than this, so if you can’t find a lower dose capsule, then take one capsule/caplet that’s 1000–2000 mcg each week.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is another nutrient that isn’t abundant in foods, either plant or animal. In fact, it’s not a vitamin at all. It’s a hormone that our bodies produce only when we’re exposed to the sun, says Dr. McDougall.
“Vitamin D helps maintain healthy levels of calcium in the blood,” Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “Eat to Live says, “ensuring that calcium is always available to the body’s tissues.” A deficiency of the nutrient can cause increased demineralization of bone, leading to osteoporosis. It has also been associated with higher rates of certain cancers and autoimmune diseases, according to the “Eat to Live” author.
If you’re Caucasian, according to Michael Gregor, 15 minutes a day in the sun with your face and forearms exposed should give you what you need. If you have a darker complexion, Gregor says, such as those of Asian or African descent, you’ll want to double that. He also states that if you live farther north than Los Angeles, Dallas or Atlanta, you’ll also want to increase your exposure.
Now, some of you simply don’t live in a place that gets enough sun, either due to climate or smoggy conditions, to get your vitamin D that way at all. This is where a supplement can be helpful. To get what you need you should take between 1,000 and 2,000 I.U. daily, Dr. Fuhrman says.
According to an article in Medical News Today titled, “What is the Difference between Vitamin D2 and D3?,” D3 is a bit more effective, but it is animal-based. D2 comes from a plant-based source. The choice is up to you.
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acid
In the world of dieting, fat has gotten a bad reputation and unfairly so. Some fatty acids are important to good health, in particular the essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs, according to Fuhrman, are the fatty acids that aren’t manufactured by the body. We must get all that we need from our diet. According to Furhman, These acids are important for the structure and function of cell membranes, for growth and development and for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.
Not only is it important that we get these nutrients, Furhman says, but we must get them in the correct balance of Omega-3s to Omega-6s. Most of us are overly heavy on the Omega-6’s which contributes to occurrences of heart disease, stroke, autoimmune conditions, skin diseases, depression and a possible increased risk of cancer, according to Furhman.
Fuhrman’s recommendation for achieving and maintaining the correct balance of essential fatty acids is to focus on getting most of your fat from flax seeds, walnuts, soy and leafy greens.
To be sure that you get enough omega-3s for good brain health Dr. Gregor recommends taking a pollutant-free, long-chain, yeast or algae-derived omega-3 supplement — 250 mg every day.
5. Iodine
Iodine is a mineral that is extremely important to thyroid function. It also plays an important role in brain development, so women who are pregnant or lactating should take special care to make sure they are getting enough.
There are a few possible dietary sources. Sea vegetables are the best.
“Sea vegetables are the underwater dark-green leafies,” says Dr. Gregor. Two sheets of plain nori, or one-half teaspoon of arame, nori or dulse flakes would give you your iodine for the day, Gregor explains. Gregor recommends avoiding both hijiki (hiziki) seaweed and kelp. Hijiki seaweed is contaminated with arsenic and kelp is simply too high in iodine to be safe in most cases.
For those who aren’t a fan of seaweed, Gregor recommends consuming either canned great northern beans or canned navy beans. The Eden brand, in particular, has trace amounts of kelp added to those two products. One-half cup of either should give you your daily requirement as long as you stick to that brand.
And your last option would be a supplement. 150 mcg daily ought to do it.
These are the top supplements that most of the leading WFPB gurus agree upon. There are a few others that vary from one program to another. I think a few of them are worth a mention.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
Dr. Bulsiewicz recommends prebiotics and probiotics, especially to those who are trying to heal their gut. He emphasizes prebiotics in particular. They help to balance the microbiome, decrease bacterial endotoxins and inflammation, lower cholesterol, and the list of their benefits, as provided by Bulsiewicz, goes on. They can be very helpful when dealing with IBS.
As with food choices, Bulsiewicz recommends using various forms of this supplement together including psyllium, beta-glucans, acacia powder and others.
Probiotics also have their place. Bulsiewicz explains that they mimic the effects of our intact microbiota. They can help optimize the immune system, lower inflammation, slow or reverse the growth of pathogenic bacteria, restore the gut barrier integrity, re-establish intestinal integrity and even offer a positive effect on your moods.
Be aware that the effects of these supplements only last as long as you continue to take them, Bulsiewicz says. Their effects will dissipate within five days of discontinued use, so they must be taken alongside the proper dietary changes if you want to see a more permanent change.
Bulsiewicz recommends choosing a probiotic based on what you’re hoping to accomplish with their use. Once you’ve established your goals, do your research and find the one that meets your needs.
Others
Dr. Fuhrman recommends an iron supplement for some women — particularly those who are menstruating or in menopause. Women should get their iron levels tested periodically and if your level is below 50, a supplement should be considered.
Fuhrman also reccomends K2 and Zinc.
K2 is important to bone health, Fuhrman says on his website in an article titled, “Do I Need Vitamin K1 and K2?” Fuhrman explains that K2 is essential for bone metabolism and blood coagulation, It allows the body to utilize the calcium needed for bone and tooth formation and it helps prevent calcification of soft bone tissue. As K2 is not available in most plant food sources, Fuhrman recommends supplementing with 30–40 mcg of K2 a day.
Lastly, Fuhrman recommends supplementing with 10–15 mg of zinc daily.
Supplements to Avoid
Quickly I want to mention a few supplements that we’re being told to avoid. Supplementation of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, copper and beta-carotene can have cancer-promoting effects according to Dr. Fuhrman. Vitamin A and beta-carotene, Fuhrman says on his website in a position paper on Multivitamins, also interferes with the absorption of important carotenoids like lutein and lycopene. So if you do decide to get a multivitamin to supplement the recommended nutrients, avoid ones that contain these four nutrients. If you’re eating a varied whole-food diet, you should be able to get all you need from your diet.
Conclusion
You’ve already chosen to follow one of the healthiest diets on the planet. You’re loading your plate with whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Your diet alone is a powerhouse of nutrition. But we’re not perfect and neither is a Plant-based diet. There are a few nutrients that are hard to get from plants. On top of that, most of us don’t have time to painstakingly track every nutrient that we ingest, so it’s hard to know precisely where we’re falling short. Using a few carefully chosen supplements is the best way to bridge the gap between what our bodies need and what we’re actually getting in our diet.
Read through this guide, do your own research and perhaps even bring the subject up with your physician. Then make your supplementation plan. You’ll be on your way to better health than you thought possible.
To follow my journey follow me here at wholefoodplantbest.medium.com and on www.pinterest.com/wholefoodplantbest.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making dietary changes or using any advice given here.