Reasons to Balance Your Meals

Eating plant-based foods can be healthy. They supply the body with numerous health benefits. People who consume only plants diets are mostly vegetarians and vegans. In fact, some of the health benefits attached to eating plant-based foods include; reduced heart disease risks, reduction in excess weight gain, and reduction of cancer risks.

However, despite all these health benefits, some nutrients are still lacking in plant-based foods. This is why it is important to balance your meals with animal-based foods in order to get the best out of your foods. You could also supplement your meal with nutrients supplements to improve the nutritional profile of your food.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a common nutrient in animal-based foods such as dairy products, meat, eggs, and fish. Vitamin B12 is also recognized as cobalamin, and one of its numerous functions is the development of the red blood cells as well as the maintenance of the brain and proper functioning of the nerves. It is a water-soluble nutrient, and this makes it easy to get absorbed into the bloodstream. According to research, vegetarians and vegans might be at severe risk of deficiency in vitamin B12. This is because most of their diets consist of plant-based foods.

Therefore without animal-based foods or nutrient supplements, they might suffer vitamin B12 deficiency. Some kinds of vegetarians can still cope in terms of vitamin B12 supply to their bodies because they are likely to get vitamin B12 from dairy products and eggs. However, this can be challenging for vegans as they do not consume any animal products at all. This can set them at great risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency. This is why vegans are advised to supplement their diet with nutrient supplements. Some of the signs associated with the deficiency of vitamin B12 include; poor brain function, higher risks of Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric health issues, fatigue and weakness, increased heart disease risk, and anemia.

Some of the foods vegans and vegetarians can try out include

• Bread
• Cereal
• Wheat

Although these foods have high vitamin B12 compounds, however,  supplementing your diet even with vitamin B12 supplements would prevent you from experiencing vitamin B12 deficiency.

Creatine

Creatine is a compound commonly found in animal-based foods. Usually, the muscles store a significant amount of this compound, while the brain accumulates more of it. One of the widely known functions of creatine is the reservation and supply of energy to the body. It reserves energy for the tissues, cells, and muscles in the body, thereby increasing your general body strength as well as improving your endurance.

These qualities make creatine one of the best supplements in the building and maintenance of the muscles, cells, and tissues in the body. It may not only increase muscle and cells strength, but it could also cause an increase in your muscle mass.

Creatine, according to research, is not a nutrient that can be gotten from foods. It is the liver that produces creatine. Nevertheless, studies have revealed that people who follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet may experience reduced creatine levels in their muscles and cells.

This is why vegans and vegetarians are advised to supplement their meals with creatine supplements in order to boost the creatine levels in their muscles since they do not eat animal-based products, which is said to be the main supplier of creatine to the body.

Some of the importance of adding creatine supplements to your diet include;

Maintenance of the brain and improvement in mental functions

Better physical appearance

Carnosine

Just like creatine, carnosine is a compound that is mostly accumulated in the brains and muscles. It is one of those nutrients that when they are lacking in the body, the muscle strength begins to wane. It helps in the improvement of the energy and strength of the muscles. These features can reduce overall weakness and improve your endurance level.

Carnosine is produced from certain strands of amino acids. Thus, supplementing your meals with foods rich in these special amino acids, or supplementing your diet with carnosine supplements, would go a long way in topping the carnosine levels in your body. Some food sources of the special amino acid (beta-alanine) include meat, poultry, and fish.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is also known in medical terms to be cholecalciferol. Being a vitamin, it performs numerous functions and is essential for the growth, maintenance, and development of the body. Just like creatine and carnosine, vitamin D3 too does not necessarily have to come from the foods you eat, as it can be produced by the body on its own through its contact with sunlight. Hence, its name; sunlight vitamin.

However, people who tend to experience vitamin D3 deficiency include people who do not get enough healthy sunlight daily. Thus, such people are expected to supplement their meals with vitamin D3 supplements.

Research has identified 2 different kinds of vitamin D3, thy include; ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol. The former, also known as vitamin D2, is found in large amounts in plant-based foods, while the latter, also known as vitamin D3, is found in large amounts in animal-based foods, respectively.

Some foods that are profoundly rich in vitamin D3 include egg yolks and fatty fish. Coupled with these foods, you can consume vitamin D supplements in order to enjoy the benefits of vitamin D3 in your body.

Some of the health conditions that may arise as a result of vitamin D3 deficiency include; Cancer, depression, heart diseases, poor functioning of the brain, weakness, and fatigue, as well as osteoporosis, which is characterized by weakened and fracture-prone bones.

Docosahexaenoic Acid

Popularly called DHA for short, Docosahexaenoic acid is a kind of acid that has a high nutritional profile. One of its known functions is the maintenance of the brain and the growth and development of the other indispensable organs in the body. DHA is a sort of Omega 3 fatty acid, which makes it a nutritious compound.

Lack of this indispensable fatty acid in the body can lead to poor Braun functions, development, and maintenance in people, with children suffering more from the blow of the deficiency. I’m addition, women who are pregnant and lack DHA in the blood cause their baby’s brain to underdevelop.

Some of the rich sources of DHA include some microalgae, all fatty fishes, and, most importantly, fish oil. In addition to this, the presence of DHA in the body can lead to the production of ALA – Omega 3 fatty acids. This ALA is more prominent in foods like flaxseed, walnuts, and chia seeds.

Heme Iron

This is a kind of nutrient that is found mostly in red meat and other forms of meat. According to research, heme iron ensures that all the foods you have consumed are easily absorbed. This is a complete contrast for nonheme iron. Most times, nonheme iron is said to be present in most plant-based foods.

Deficiency in this kind of iron can lead to a condition medically defined as anemia. People who are on raw food diets are mostly following a plant-based diet could be at risk of deficiency and the health issues attached to it.

Taurine

Taurine is a property often said to be “sulphuric” in nature. It is present in different organs of the body, including the heart, kidneys, brain, and body tissues.

Taurine is known for its numerous health benefits, some of which include; strengthening of the body’s defenses, regulation of the formation of the salt in the bile, and the development and maintenance of the muscles.

Specific foods have been found to be rich in the compound taurine. Some of these rich food sources are animal-based. Some of them include; meat, seafood, fish, dairy products, and poultry.

According to research, vegans and vegetarians have been discovered to have very low levels of taurine compared to people who eat meat.

It is essential to note that, although the body produces tiny amounts of taurine in the body. However, it Is still best to supplement your diets with taurine-rich supplements. You could also add foods that are rich in taurine to your diet.

In conclusion, since some nutrients cannot be gotten from plant-based foods, people who follow raw, vegetarian, or vegan diets should balance their meals with nutrient supplements.