Does a Plant Based Diet Leave Your Body Nutrient Deficient?

Does a Plant Based Diet Leave Your Body Nutrient Deficient?

Table of Contents

    Share

    Emerging evidence continues to favour a plant-based diet in conferring multiple health benefits including reduction in heart disease, diabetes, obesity and some cancers including colon cancer. So are there any disadvantages to eating a plant-based diet?

    Despite several health benefits of going meat-free, a purely plant-based diet is far more likely to leave people deficient in important nutrients like zinc, vitamin D, B12, iron, calcium and omega 3 which are more readily available in fish, poultry, red meat and dairy foods. Vitamin B12 in particular is almost exclusively sourced from meat, which also contains more readily bioavailable iron in the form of heme iron.

    The following article was published by a dietician in an Australian GP news article endorsed by the Australian College of GP's (RACGP). It describes a number of nutrients lacking in the vegan diet and suggestions for plant-based food sources.

    It is important to note that additional supplementation may be required for nutrients like Zinc, Vitamin D, B12, iodine, iron and omega 3.

    Source: https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/

    Leave a comment

    Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

    What It Actually Does

    Ashwagandha is classified as an adaptogen - a substance that helps the body adapt to physical and psychological stress. But that description undersells the specificity of the evidence.

    In peer-reviewed clinical trials, ashwagandha root extract has been shown to:

    01

    Reduce serum cortisol levels significantly in adults under chronic stress

    02

    Support testosterone levels and muscle recovery in resistance-trained adults

    03

    Improve subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and wellbeing

    04

    Improve subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and wellbeing

    05

    Improve sleep quality and reduce time to sleep onset

    Why The Form Matters

    Here is where most supplement labels become misleading.
    The clinical trials that produced the evidence above didn't use generic ashwagandha root powder. They used standardised, patented extracts - specifically KSM-66® and Sensoril®, both of which are produced from roots using proprietary extraction methods that concentrate the active withanolides to a consistent, clinically meaningful level.
    Generic ashwagandha powder can contain anywhere from 1% to 8% withanolides. KSM-66® is standardised to a minimum of 5% withanolides with a full-spectrum root extract, which means it retains the natural balance of the plant's compounds rather than isolating one component.
    When you buy a supplement that says "ashwagandha" without specifying the extract form, you have no way of knowing whether it contains enough active compounds to do anything at all.
    At Arise, we use KSM-66® in every formula that contains ashwagandha. It's more expensive. It's worth it.

    Third-party Testing

    Supplements are not regulated the same way pharmaceuticals are. In most markets, a supplement company can put almost anything in a capsule and make almost any claim about it, as long as they don't claim to treat a specific disease.
    This is why third-party testing matters. It means an independent laboratory - one with no financial relationship to the supplement company - has tested the product to verify that:

    1. The ingredients listed are actually present
    2. They're present at the stated concentrations
    3. The product doesn't contain contaminants, heavy metals, or undisclosed substances

    Look for: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, or USP Verified certification on any supplement you take. These are the most rigorous third-party standards available.
    Every Arise formula is third-party tested before it reaches you. The results are available on request.

    The Honest Bottom Line

    Ashwagandha works. The evidence is genuinely strong. But the quality of the extract determines the quality of the outcome — and most of what's available on the market doesn't use the forms that the clinical research actually studied.
    Read the label. Ask for the extract form. Expect a specific answer.