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Vegans and vegetarians can be among the healthiest people on earth IF they are eating wholesome, non-junky foods...and making sure their diets are well-balanced.
We're talking vegetables, some fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes and adding in healthy fats such as Omega-3's and taking a B-100 vitamin to make up for possibly missing B vitamins...
Of course, if one is eating a mountain of rice or potatoes every day, or a lot of yeasty baked items, one will pile on the pounds from those starchy foods...ditto sugar. Beware juices...
French-fries may be vegan or vegetarian, but eating piles of them does not lead to a healthy body...
And some of the faux-meat products on the market are filled with additives, sugars, bad fats, and other undesirable stuff.
My DH just got his blood work lab results and the doctor told him she rarely sees such great results for a 70 year old man. He takes/needs no medicine. We do take some vitamins and minerals...and are faithful gym goers.
A note about the Omega-3 from vegan/vegetarian sources. They are not in the form the body can use, they have to be converted to EPA/DHA and this is done at a very low rate especially for men. EPA/DHA can be sourced directly from cold-water fish such as Salmon or fish oil supplements.
Omega-3 from plants come in the form of alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Nuts and seeds are good sources.
A note about the Omega-3 from vegan/vegetarian sources. They are not in the form the body can use, they have to be converted to EPA/DHA and this is done at a very low rate especially for men. EPA/DHA can be sourced directly from cold-water fish such as Salmon or fish oil supplements.
Omega-3 from plants come in the form of alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Nuts and seeds are good sources.
That's not entirely true. It is possible to take a vegan Omega-3 supplement derived from algal oil which doesn't require conversion. I take just such a supplement that contains 300mg DHA and 150mg EPA.
That's not entirely true. It is possible to take a vegan Omega-3 supplement derived from algal oil which doesn't require conversion. I take just such a supplement that contains 300mg DHA and 150mg EPA.
What I stated.
Quote:
Omega-3 from vegan/vegetarian sources
I really meant plant sources and should have stated that. Marine algae is not exactly a plant that grows in the ground.
Quote:
Extraction of algal oil for the production of DHA and EPA is difficult because, as soon as the algal cell walls are ruptured, these LC-PUFA are exposed to potential oxidation. Once these highly unsaturated fatty acids have reacted with oxidised radicals, an unstoppable chain reaction begins which leads to the production of rancid, highly odourous oil which is unsuitable for human consumption.
Still not really proven to provide any benefits, you may be wasting your money as is often the case with supplements like this. I would prefer to just eat more ALA and have my own body convert it. I can't afford to eat as much Salmon as I would like and I don't like sardines.
The best Omega 3 source from plants are seaweed and algae. I eat seaweed a lot and take Omega 3 supplements that are made from algae which doesn't give you the fish burb.
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