I’m a Scientist is like school science lessons meet the X Factor! School students choose which scientist gets a prize of $1000 to communicate their work.
Scientists and students talk on this website. They both break down barriers, have fun and learn. But only the students get to vote.
This zone is the Disease Zone. It has scientists studying the causes and processes of illness . Who gets the prize? YOU decide!
Vegetarians and vegans can usually get most of the nutrients that people with meat in their diet get, they just have to work harder to get some of them! Some people have to take supplements to get all their nutrients, but many are able to adapt their diet so that they get most of it through food. We always suggest that vegetarians talk to their doctor regularly to get checked for deficiencies, and that they talk to a nutritionist to see how they can improve their intake where lacking. The five most common deficiencies are below.
Iron: Iron is the big one for most vegetarians, especially people who are new to a meat-free diet. Most people get their iron from red meat, which is the easiest way to consume it. Good vegetarian sources of iron include green leafy vegetables (think spinach, kale), lentils, and other legumes. Vegetarians also need Vitamin C to be able to absorb iron to convert it into a form our body can use.
Vitamin B12: B12 is a vitamin commonly used in the body for things like normal brain function and the formation of blood cells. it’s important for the immune system, and in energy production in your cells. Eggs and dairy products, like milk and cheese, are good sources of B12, but vegetarians can get it from nutritional yeast, nori (the seaweed wrapped around your sushi), or some types of algae. Most get it from supplements instead.
Calcium: We all know that calcium is really important for strong bones and good teeth. We use it for a lot of other things too, but these are the main ones! For people who can’t drink milk or eat cheese, there are many calcium fortified plant milks, like soy, almond or rice milk, which have calcium added to them. You can also get calcium from green vegetables and rhubarb (YUM!).
Zinc: Zinc is a very important mineral for immune function, helping your body to fight off infections. It’s also used for your skin and nails, so people with a zinc deficiency often have trouble with these things. Beans, greens, lentils and some nuts tend to be the best way to get zinc in a vegetarian diet.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These are what I work on! We get omega-3 from things like fish. Many people think there are only one type of Omega-3, but this is not true. There are different types of Omega-3, long and short chain, all of which do different things. Vegetarian diets usually have lots of Omega-6, but not enough Omega-3, which can cause lots of problems with inflammation and making you ill. Vegetarians can get short-chain omega-3 from flax seeds. The body can make some of its own long-chain fatty acids, but it is not very effective, so if vegetarians need to take omega-3s for health issues (like our patients with cachexia), they might decide to make an exception to their ‘no animal products’ rule just for fish oil, or they might take krill oil instead.
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