By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I’ve recently gotten some questions about the use of folic acid supplements prior to and during pregnancy. Folic acid is one form of folate, an essential vitamin. Folic acid is the form of folate that is used in supplements and fortified foods because it is the form that is most stable. It is added to enriched grain products including breads, pasta, and breakfast cereals. There are several forms of folate that are found naturally in foods; these are called “food folates.” Foods that are naturally high in folate include green leafy vegetables, dried beans, and oranges.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) urges women to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant and continuing during pregnancy, to help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine (1). They specifically call for use of folic acid from fortified foods and/or supplements, in addition to getting folate from foods.

The first few weeks of pregnancy are important times for the development of the fetus’ brain and spinal cord. Taking folic acid in the period from about 1 month before to 6 weeks after conception is associated with reduced risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect. Neural tube defects include spina bifida, anencephaly, and other serious birth defects. Folic acid is also associated with reduced risk of cleft lip/palate (2).

You may be wondering if you can just get the folate you need for pregnancy from foods. Somewhat surprisingly, no studies have been published that look at food folate and the prevention of neural tube defects. All of the studies that have been done looking at neural tube defects have compared women who used folic acid supplements or foods fortified with folic acid to women who did not use these products. In these studies, women who used folic acid had a 35% to over 70% lower risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect.

It’s unfortunate that food folate studies have not been done but, at this point, there may be ethical questions about doing such studies since folic acid has shown such impressive effects in terms of risk reduction.

Numerous factors affect how well humans absorb food folate. These include genetics and race/ethnicity (3). Folic acid is not affected as much by these variations in absorption. This may be another reason why folic acid supplements are recommended before and during pregnancy in addition to getting folate from foods.

Because of the significant impact of folic acid, specifically on the reduction of the risk of having a child with a serious birth defect, and the lack of evidence for similar benefits of food folate, I would not personally be comfortable with telling someone contemplating pregnancy to avoid folic acid supplements or fortified foods at the recommended levels. That said, food sources of folate also contain many other important nutrients. These foods including dried beans and green leafy vegetables should be a part of everyone’s diet.

Some websites raise concern about health risks of using folic acid. Many of these concerns do not apply for the short-term used of folic acid just before and during pregnancy. For example, one study is pointed to as suggesting a higher risk of breast cancer with use of folic acid (4). This study was conducted in postmenopausal women, not in women who took folic acid only around the time of pregnancy, so is not really relevant to this discussion.

Similarly, a report of higher risk of colon cancer (5) found no increased risk in those taking supplements for up to 3 years.

One study which found a correlation between use of folic acid in pregnancy and breast cancer (6) had some subjects taking more than 10 times as much folic acid as is recommended. The number of subjects in this study was small and the researchers themselves comment that their results could be due simply to chance. No other study has replicated the findings of this study.

Some websites raise the issue of whether or not children whose mothers take folic acid in pregnancy have a higher risk of asthma. There have been 4 studies of the relation between supplemental folic acid in pregnancy and childhood asthma. Two found statistically significant associations between childhood asthma and late (but not early) pregnancy maternal folic acid exposure. Another found a statistically significant association between childhood wheeze and early (but not late) pregnancy maternal folic acid exposure. A fourth study found little association between maternal dietary folate in pregnancy and infantile wheeze. (7) One group of researchers commented, “We would remind women that respiratory risks from late pregnancy folic acid are unproven, but that even if they are real, the absolute increase in risk to an individual child would be fairly small. Hypothetically, if the relative risk increase of asthma from standard dose late pregnancy folic acid was 10–20% (consistent with the Australian and English studies), and assuming an Australian childhood asthma prevalence of 20%, a pregnant woman taking folic acid in late pregnancy would increase her child’s risk of asthma by 2–4%. Couching the statistics in these terms may help patients make an informed decision (7).”

Bottom line (my opinion): We don’t have enough information to recommend food folate in place of folic acid to reduce risk of neural tube defects. Based on what we know now, the benefits of folic acid supplements prior to conception and during pregnancy outweigh the risks.

References
1. Centers for Disease Control. Facts About Folic Acid. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html
2. Wilcox AJ, Lie RT, Solvoll K, et al. Folic acid supplements and the risk of facial clefts: A national population-based control study BMJ, 2007 Mar 3;334(7591):464.
3. Caudill MA. Folate bioavailability: implications for establishing dietary recommendations and optimizing status. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1455S-1460S.
4. Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ et al. Folate intake, alcohol use, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr;83(4):895-904.
5. Fife J et al. Folic acid supplementation and colorectal cancer risk; a meta-analysis. Colorectal Dis. 2011 Feb;13(2):132-7.
6. Charles D et al. Taking folate in pregnancy and risk of maternal breast cancer. BMJ 2004;329:1375;6.
7. Sharland E, Montgomery B, Granell R. Folic acid in pregnancy – is there a link with childhood asthma or wheeze? Aust Fam Physician. 2011 Jun;40(6):421-4.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

About 5 years ago, The New York Times published an op-ed sensationally headlined “Death by Veganism.” This opinion piece created a great deal of outcry, because of its incorrect information and shaky foundation. The Public Editor of the Times said, “I think The Times owes its readers the other side, published on the op-ed page, not just in five letters to the editor that briefly took issue with her” and asked, “And what is the obligation of editors to make sure that op-ed writers are not playing fast and loose with the facts?”

Last week The Times included another opinion piece by the same writer that takes issue with vegan diets for infants and children. I hesitated about even responding to this, hating to call attention to an article that is so filled with misinformation. I do think, however, that those who are raising (or are considering raising) children on vegan diets need good information to support their decision and to help them respond to others who may use this article as a way of questioning their choice. VRG’s website offers many great resources for parents.

While space prevents addressing every one of the questionable statements, here are a few:

“The breast milk of vegetarian and vegan mothers is dramatically lower in a critical brain fat, DHA, than the milk of an omnivorous mother and contains less usable vitamin B6.”

Fact: DHA’s role in brain development is uncertain. An analysis of current research by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly known as the American Dietetic Association) concluded that while DHA supplements can increase the amount of DHA in breast milk, this increase does not necessarily lead to a
positive effect on brain development (1).

There have not been published reports of the vitamin B6 content of breast milk from vegetarians or vegans so I can’t understand where the statement about less usable vitamin B6 comes from. Vegetarians generally have adequate intakes of vitamin B6.

“Vegans, vegetarians and people with poor thyroid function are often deficient in carnitine and its precursors.”

There is also no evidence that vegetarians or vegans are deficient in carnitine or its precursors. While lower levels of carnitine have been reported in adult vegetarians compared to nonvegetarians, levels were within a normal range (2). Carnitine is not considered an essential nutrient because our bodies are able to make it from amino acids. The mother’s diet has little effect on the amount of carnitine in her breast milk (3).

“The most risky period for vegan children is weaning. Growing babies who are leaving the breast need complete protein, omega-3 fats, iron, calcium and zinc. Compared with meat, fish, eggs and dairy, plants are inferior sources of every one.”

Fact: Weaning is a tricky time, nutritionally speaking, for many children. Breast milk contains readily absorbed nutrients with ratios of protein, fat and carbohydrate that support the baby’s growth. Babies who are weaned to a diet high in empty calories or a diet focused mainly on cow’s milk can certainly have nutrition-related problems. Vegan diets can easily meet a toddler’s needs for protein, omega-3 fats, iron, calcium, and zinc. The 2010 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans includes a menu planning tool that can be used for vegan children age 2 and older. We also include menu planning guides on our website.

“Soy protein is not good for a baby’s first food…”

Fact: Who said soy protein should be a baby’s first food? While infants who are not breastfed do use soy formula (which has a long track record of successfully nourishing infants), breastfed infants are not usually given soy as a first food. Iron-fortified infant cereals are commonly used as an easily digested first food.

“Studies have shown that kids raised until age 6 on a vegan diet are still B12 deficient even years after they start eating at least some animal products.”

Fact: Vegan children can have adequate vitamin B12 status if their diet includes regular, reliable sources of vitamin B12. Reliable sources of vitamin B12 include foods fortified with vitamin B12 and vitamin B12 supplements.

“Vegans may believe it’s possible to get B12 from plant sources like seaweed, fermented soy, spirulina and brewer’s yeast.”

Fact: With the many reliable websites (like this one) providing information on vitamin B12, I hope that vegans don’t believe that the foods just listed are good sources of vitamin B12.

The New York Times opinion piece was concluded with a call to parents raise their children as nonvegetarians and to allow them to choose their own diets as adults. I don’t get the logic – parents are choosing what foods their children eat, even if they are raising them as meat eaters. I could just as easily say that all parents should raise their children as vegans and then, if the children grow up and want to eat meat, that would be their choice. As parents, we make choices for our children, based on what we think is in their best interest.

Each family makes their own choices about feeding their children. I can only hope that the misinformation in the Times’ article will not deter parents from choosing to raise their children as vegans.

Ginny Messina, MPH, RD offers her take on The New York Times article on her blog, the Vegan R.D. at
http://www.theveganrd.com/2012/04/the-new-york-times-nina-planck-and-safety-of-vegan-diets.html

References

1. James DCS, Lessen R. Position of the American Dietetic Association: promoting and supporting
breastfeeding. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109:1926-42.

2. Lombard KA, Olson AL, Nelson SE, Rebouche CJ. Carnitine status of lactoovovegetarians and strict
vegetarian adults and children. Am J Clin Nutr 1989; 50:301-6.

3. Mitchell ME, Snyder EA. Dietary carnitine effects on carnitine concentrations in urine and milk in
lactating women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991; 54:814-20.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

VRG Research Director

In April 2010, The VRG posted on its blog an announcement that Martek Biosciences Corporation, makers of a non-animal-derived omega-3 fatty acid, was developing an all-vegetable chondroitin expected to be on sale in two years. Believed by some to be important for joint health, chondroitin is used to treat the effects of osteoarthritis or related joint conditions. Usually derived from shark (or other animal) cartilage, a non-animal formulation of chondroitin could be used by people who wanted an alternative form of chondroitin.

A March 2012 article on NutraIngredients-USA.com stated that the vegetarian chondroitin project has been discontinued, at least for now, because its cost is predicted to be “prohibitively expensive.” Martek was purchased by DSM in February 2011, and is now part of the DSM Nutrition Lipids division. It had hoped to continue the project, co-ventured with the Japanese company, Seikagaku, to final product development even after the company purchase.

NutraIngredients-USA reported that the vegetarian chondroitin project was considered too expensive by DSM after DSM conducted some consumer research revealing that most people are unaware that chondroitin typically comes from sharks. Without a clientele base cognizant of this fact, DSM reasoned, it would be too costly and challenging to market the benefits of a non-animal chondroitin. Martek initially planned their target marketing niche to be vegetarians, vegans, allergy sufferers, and those searching for eco-friendly products.

Plans to develop a non-animal chondroitin involved microbial fermentation technology similar to that used by the company to create their vegetarian DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid), called life’sDHA™: http://www.dsm.com//en_US/foodandbeverages/public/home/pages/prod-life-dha.jsp.

A new Martek/DSM initiative, an algal “fishless fish oil” blend of DHA and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid, another omega-3 fatty acid), is a vegetarian alternative to fish oil omega-3s. These fatty acids are believed to be important in eye, heart, and brain functioning. Martek/DSM hopes that by the end of 2012 their all-vegetable blend of omega-3s will appear in food products as well as in supplements.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For more information on sources of food ingredients and to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, visit the VRG at http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

For information on fast food and quick service chains, food ingredients, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/.

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group! Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
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To support VRG research, donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

According to an article on the website for NutraIngredients- USA, a British firm, ESB Developments, has isolated what is apparently the first plant-sourced vitamin D3 from lichen. The vitamin D3 is collected from wild-harvested lichen and processed into sprays, softgels, and other products, under the product label Vitashine. Matt Broughton, a director at ESB, would like to eventually grow the lichen in large vats and harvest the vitamin D3. Additionally, he hopes to develop a powder form of the vitamin D3 that could be added to more foods. ESB recently agreed to supply its vegan vitamin D3 to Global Health Trax (GHT) for use in supplements in the US and Canada.

Vitashine is registered with The Vegan Society. According to The Vegan Society’s website this means that the product has "been checked by Vegan Society staff to ensure that they meet our criteria."

Two different forms of vitamin D are used in supplements and fortified foods. Vitamin D2, also called ergocalciferol, is manufactured through the ultraviolet irradiation of a substance called ergosterol that comes from yeast. Vitamin D2 is vegan. Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol, is typically made by the ultraviolet irradiation of a substance derived from sheep’s wool.

There is a question as to whether or not vitamin D2 is as effective as vitamin D3 in preventing vitamin D deficiency although several recent studies indicate that both forms of vitamin D are equally effective. You can read more about one of these studies in Vegetarian Journal. For those vegetarians and vegans who would prefer to use vitamin D3, news of this vegan source of vitamin D3 will be welcome.

Vegan vitamin D3 can be ordered from GHT and from several vegan websites including Vegan Essentials and The Vegan Store.

Vitamin D is also produced following sunlight exposure. Sources of vitamin D2 for vegans include vitamin D2-fortified plant milks, mushroom powder, mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet light, and supplements.

Vitamix is working with Dr. Joel Fuhrman and the Nutritional Research Project on a study to determine how age and gender impact the blood levels of essential fatty acids, EPA, and DHA in long-term vegans. Vitamix is supporting this research because omega-3 fatty acids are important in reducing the risk for heart disease, depression, and dementia.

You are eligible to participate in the study if:

• You are between the ages of 20 and 100
• You have been a vegan for at least three years
• You are not currently taking essential fatty acid supplements

If you are selected to participate, you will receive a copy of the report of your blood levels of these important essential fatty acids, and as a thank you, a $20 Target gift card. A small number of participants will be asked to take a vegan omega-3 supplement for three months in the second part of the study.

If you are interested, please visit https://www.nutritionalresearch.org/survey/ for more information.

The study has been approved by the University of San Diego Institutional Review Board. The Principal Investigators are Barbara Sarter, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Resources, University of San Diego, and Joel Fuhrman, M.D., Research Director of the Nutritional Research Project.

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

In October 2011, The VRG received an email from a self-described "raw foods vegan" asking about our classification of riboflavin and niacin in The VRG's Guide to Food Ingredients as "typically vegan" rather than "vegan." She was puzzled because we had classified them as being commercially produced synthetically or microbially. Both of these production methods are described as "vegan" in the Introduction to our Guide, so the reader thought they should be labeled as "vegan." The reader had no success in getting answers about riboflavin and niacin from companies so asked us to look into it.

Recent investigation into these two B vitamins, often found in fortified foods as well as nutritional supplements, proved that they still are largely produced by synthetic methods and by microbial fermentation using all-vegetable growth media for the microbes. However, the VRG conservatively classified niacin and riboflavin as "typically vegan" because of the possibility that these vitamins, widely found in animal products such as milk, organ meats and eggs, could be derived from animal sources in rare cases.

This could be the case, for example, in "natural" products containing these vitamins. Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not as of yet legally defined the term "natural," companies can and do interpret it broadly. Thus, even if in almost all cases, the commercial sources for niacin and riboflavin are "vegan" as we have defined the word in the Introduction to our Food Ingredients Guide (as mentioned above), we cautiously classify them as "typically vegan" to account for cases where animal products may be used.

The VRG asked several manufacturers of niacin and riboflavin in December 2011 about their starting materials. Lonza, the world's largest manufacturer of niacin, wrote that they start with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other non-animal chemicals. Smaller companies, such as Mason, said that their "natural" niacin was "synthetically derived," while Natural Factors said that their niacin was "a fermented, animal product-free vitamin." Wonder Labs emailed us that their niacin was "produced by microorganisms in the lab…and does not have any animal products in it. It is vegetarian/vegan." NOW Foods said that "niacin's been synthesized chemically for years…I don't think microbes are used at all."

PAT Vitamins carries riboflavin products made through "fermentation using corn starch as the growth medium." Jarrow told us that their riboflavin is "chemically synthesized." Nature's Way told The VRG that they use "a natural fermentation process starting with growth media that contain no animal products." A customer service representative at Nature's Way added that "…because there is not enough riboflavin in natural foods to extract it, it would be cost prohibitive [to source it that way]." She referred to the fermentation product as "‘synthetic' meaning ‘re-created.'" Furthermore, since additional processing is involved, Nature's Way calls its fermentation-produced riboflavin "synthetic."

However, not all companies manufacture riboflavin through chemical synthesis or microbial fermentation. The VRG spoke in January 2012 with Dee Cee Laboratories, who told us that their "natural" riboflavin was an extract of beef, specifically beef liver and kidney concentrate. The VRG called a second time to confirm that this was true and we received that confirmation.

The VRG encourages all readers to contact manufacturers when in doubt about food or supplement ingredients. Note that often, companies distribute products made by other companies so more than one call or email may be required. Double checking on a different day and asking someone else at the company may also be warranted if you receive questionable information. Remember that human beings aren’t perfect. A main goal of being vegan is to do the best you can, work towards a better world, and not be critical of others.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements.Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For more information on food ingredients and to purchase The VRG's Guide to Food Ingredients, visit http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php
For information on ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free e-newsletter: http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp
And like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

VRG Research Director

In September 2011 we received an email from a long-time VRG member asking us to look into two ingredients she believed were mislabeled in skin care products she had seen at a store located close to Philadelphia. She told us that “silk amino acids” were listed as ingredients in products labeled “vegan.”

The VRG contacted James Youn of Worldway, a Korean company which produces silk amino acids for both food and cosmetic purposes. He told us that “we use only empty cocoons” in the production of silk amino acids. Silk amino acids may be found in some food supplements sold in the United States but, to the best of our knowledge, is not in any food products.

Interested readers may note that some Internet sources stated that silk worms were killed in the extraction process to obtain silk amino acids.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For more information on food processing methods and food ingredients and to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website at http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

For updates on ingredients and other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group! Get our blog delivered right to your inbox:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog Visit us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/VegResourceGrp and friend us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

You can support The Vegetarian Resource Group research at
https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

Vegans looking for a source of calcium should know that many brands of frozen concentrate orange juice are calcium-fortified but don’t list vitamin D on the label. This is in contrast to most cartons of ready-to-serve orange juice which contain both calcium and vitamin D. The vitamin D in cartons of orange juice is typically vitamin D3 (derived from sheep’s wool).

Here are some brands of frozen orange juice concentrate that contain calcium, but don’t list vitamin D:
Giant 100% Pure Orange Juice – Frozen Concentrate with Calcium

Minute Maid Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice with Calcium

Stop and Shop Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice with Calcium

ShopRite Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate with Calcium

Old http://rtetracyclineuse.com Orchard 100% Juice with Calcium

If you find other brands, please let us know. You may notice that some brands of frozen orange juice contain calcium lactate.This is not a dairy-based ingredient.

Since vitamin D promotes calcium absorption, be sure your diet has vegan sources of vitamin D like fortified plant milks (most use D2) or vitamin D supplements.At least 10 to 15 minutes of summer sun exposure two or three times a week is another way to get the vitamin D that you need. Don’t forget the sunscreen once those 10-15 minutes are up!

For more information on ingredients, see
http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php
To support Vegetarian Resource Group research and education , you can donate at https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

The contents of this posting and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Pregnant or planning for pregnancy? Check out this recent article by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, VRG nutrition advisor, and co-author of VRG’s brochure, Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood.

Excerpted from Starting Right: What to Eat When You’re Hoping to be Expecting, published on http://www.onegreenplanet.org:

2. Make sure you’re eating a variety of vegan foods with an emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods.

Pre-pregnancy is a great time to clean up your plate. Eating a variety of foods – beans, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds – makes it more likely that you’re getting the nutrients you need and that will support your baby’s growth. You’ll be a role model for your child for many years. It’s a lot easier to promote fruits and vegetables if your child sees you eating these healthy foods.

In addition to choosing whole, unprocessed foods often, be sure you mix things up. If you usually eat soy products as entrees, try adding some other kinds of beans or seitan. If you take fruit for lunch, eat seasonally – peaches in summer, pears in the fall, strawberries in the spring rather than only eating apples or bananas. Greater variety in your food choices makes it more likely that you’re getting all of the nutrients you need.

3. Start taking a supplement of folic acid and decide if you need to use supplements to insure adequate vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iron, and iodine.

Folic acid is an important vitamin during early pregnancy because of its role in the development of the nervous system. Adequate intakes of folic acid have been linked to a reduced risk of birth defects like spina bifida. Since the baby’s brain and spinal cord begin to form very early in pregnancy, before you may even know you’re pregnant, the CDC and other government agencies recommend that all women who may become pregnant either take a supplement containing 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid or eat cereal fortified with folic acid. Few, if any, vegan cereals are fortified with folic acid, so it’s probably easiest to take a supplement of folic acid or, if you use a multi-vitamin, check to see if it has 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for folic acid.

Vitamin B12 is another vitamin that’s needed for development of the nervous system. Vegans get vitamin B12 from fortified foods (some brands of soy or other milks, cereals, energy bars, etc) and from supplements. Be sure that you have a reliable source of vitamin B12 that you use every day before and during pregnancy and when you’re breastfeeding.

Requirements for calcium and vitamin D do not go up in pregnancy. It’s still important to meet recommendations for these nutrients, either by choosing good food sources or by using a vegan supplement.

Iron needs are quite high in pregnancy because extra iron is needed to make the baby’s blood. If you start pregnancy with adequate amounts of stored iron, there’s less likelihood that you’ll become anemic during pregnancy. You can build up your stores of iron before pregnancy by eating iron-enriched foods (pasta, cereal, bread, some brands of fake meat) and foods high in iron (dried beans, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts). Even with adequate stores of iron, your health care provider may recommend an iron supplement.

Iodine plays an important role in brain development. Iodized salt is an easy way to add iodine to your diet. If you don’t use iodized salt and rarely use sea vegetables (another source of iodine), either choose an iodine supplement or a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement that supplies iodine.

Read the whole article here »

A reader asked about an article she read that said “Not all omega-3’s are created equal. Those from flax (called ALA) don’t have all the benefits (such as helping with heart health) when compared with the omega-3’s derived from fatty fish such as salmon and tuna (called DHA and EPA).”

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD responded:

Thanks for your note. The article that you read wasn’t quite the whole picture. While the kind of omega-3 fatty acid found in flax (alpha-linolenic acid) does not have the same effect in terms of lowering triglyceride levels as EPA and DHA do, it has other benefits that are similar to those of DHA and EPA. Higher intakes of alpha-linolenic acid are associated with a reduced risk of heart attacks and fatal heart disease.

Our bodies are able to make some DHA and EPA from alpha-linolenic acid. The rates of production of DHA and EPA are quite low, however, so some people who do not have dietary sources of DHA and EPA choose to take supplements of these fatty acids. Vegan DHA and EPA supplements are available from vegan stores like The Vegetarian Site, Vegan Essentials, and Pangea. The supplements are made from microalgae.

The jury is still out as to whether or not vegans need to use supplements of DHA and EPA. One expert has said, “It is important to note the absence of reported adverse health effects in this population [vegans] that consumes no fish.” Vegetarians, including vegans already have very low rates of death from heart disease.

You may also be interested in these articles from Vegetarian Journal.

http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue3/2005_issue3_hotline.php
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001sep/2001sepomega3.htm
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue1/vj2007issue1.pdf
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2009issue2/2009_issue2_nutrition_hotline.php

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group and subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, go to
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3