Nutrients
MINERALS
VITAMINS
OTHERS
Minerals
| Element | Function in the body | Deficiency symptoms | Plant-based sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium | It binds to chlorine to form salt, an essential component of the body’s fluids, circulating outside the cells, and in the blood and in the hydrochloric acid of the stomach. It works together with potassium, keeping water and acids in their correct balance within the body. It regulates the activity of the nerves and the muscles, … | A deficiency causes muscle cramps and dehydration of the body. An excess causes fluid retention, damages the kidneys and raises blood pressure, … | Green vegetables, alfalfa sprouts, lentils, nuts, carrots, … |
| Potassium | It works together with sodium. Its absorption is reduced if the diet is high in sugar, alcohol or coffee, … | Weak muscles, poor reflexes, constipation, mental confusion, … | Soya flour, beans, fruit, bread, nuts, tofu (soya cheese), … |
| Chlorine | It works with sodium. The balance of chlorine with sodium is essential, … | Same as sodium, … | Olives, seaweed, … |
| Magnesium | It works together with calcium and phosphorus as a component of the bones. The balance of calcium and magnesium is essential, … | Apathy, depression, nervous disorders, muscle weakness, … | Nuts, tofu, lentils, wholemeal wheat flour, fruit, … |
| Phosphorus | Combined with calcium to form calcium phosphate, the main component of bones and teeth. It also helps in the use of the B vitamin complex, … | Muscle weakness. An excess upsets the calcium/phosphorus balance and causes a calcium deficiency in the body, … | Yeast extract, nuts, wholemeal wheat flour, beans, bread, lentils, green vegetables, dried fruit, mushrooms, root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, …), … |
| Calcium | It works together with magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D to form bones and teeth. This balance is essential. It is also vital for the working of the nerves, the activity of the enzymes and muscle contraction, and together with vitamin K it is needed for blood circulation and the healing of wounds. Its absorption is reduced in the presence of phytic acid (cereals) and oxalic acid (spinach), … | Muscle cramps, spasms, nervousness, … | Molasses, almonds, tofu, wholemeal wheat bread, sunflower seeds, nuts, seaweed, cooked beans, broccoli, sesame seeds, green beans, parsley, turnips, yeasts, … |
| Iron | An important element: over half the iron in the body is used for haemoglobin (the red pigment in the blood) and for producing the enzymes used in respiration. It is needed for a correct metabolism of the B vitamin group, and gives healthy hair, skin, nails and bones, … | General fatigue, low resistance to illness, … | Lentils, oats, plums, raisins, wholemeal wheat bread, apricots, figs, pomegranates, sesame seeds, wheat germ, soya beans, coconut, wheat cereals, tofu, parsley, bran, hazelnuts, green beans, … |
| Copper | Needed by iron for the formation of haemoglobin. It is involved in the formation of the pigment melanin, which colours the skin and the hair, and is essential for the use of vitamin C, … | Loss of hair colour, anaemia, loss of the sense of taste, rise in blood pressure, … | Beans, cereals, grains, vegetables, mushrooms, wholemeal wheat flour, nuts, bread, yeast extract, coconut, … |
| Iodine | It regulates the metabolism. It is needed for healthy hair, skin and nails and for correct growth, … | Low vitality, poor blood circulation, physical and mental sluggishness, a lower metabolic rate, weight gain, dry skin and hair, … | Green vegetables, sea salt, seaweed, onions, cereals, … |
Vitamins
| Element | Function in the body | Deficiency symptoms | Plant-based sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Growth, healthy skin, hair, teeth and eyes, resistance to infection; essential for sight, … | Sores in the mouth and on the gums, low resistance to illness, skin problems, night blindness, dandruff, nails falling off, … | Carrots, tomatoes, spinach, raisins, plums, apricots, beans, green beans, parsley, pears, lettuce, … |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | Growth, correct working of the nervous system, obtaining energy from carbohydrates; it looks after the good performance of the muscles, the heart and the brain, … | Loss of memory, lack of attention, muscle weakness, reduced mental capacity, fatigue, loss of appetite, … | Brown rice (not white rice), beans, wholemeal wheat flour, yeast extract, pulses, wheat germ, tofu, nuts, peanuts, oats, bread, lentils, … |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | Obtaining energy; helps to create antibodies. It acts in the regeneration of the blood, in the liver, in the work of the heart and in the eye, … | Sores at the corner of the mouth, skin complaints, inflammation of the cornea, inflammation of the tongue, … | Avocado, hazelnuts, endive, spinach, white beans, brewer’s yeast, nuts, parsley, banana, melon, … |
| Vitamin B5 (Niacin) | Obtaining energy, healthy hair; essential for the production of sex hormones, helps the body use protein, iron and calcium, … | Pellagra: dermatitis (redness and flaking), diarrhoea (and lesions on the tongue), dementia (and hallucinations, delirium, amnesia, …), … | Pumpkin, peanuts, brewer’s yeast, sweet pepper, tofu, brown rice, almonds, sunflower seeds, … |
| Vitamin B6 | Formation of haemoglobin and antibodies in the blood, treats menstrual problems in women, metabolises proteins, … | Pellagra, muscle cramps, … | Brewer’s yeast, beans, lentils, bananas, tofu, nuts, hazelnuts, … |
| Vitamin B12 | The most powerful anti-anaemic element known, vital for the production of haemoglobin, essential for cell division, growth and obtaining energy from carbohydrates, and for the health of the nervous and reproductive systems, … | Tiredness, sores on the tongue, indigestion. SERIOUS: abnormal formation of the blood leading to megaloblastic anaemia, nervous disorders leading to degeneration of the spinal cord and to infertility in women, … | Brewer’s yeast, fortified soya milk, alfalfa sprouts, miso, … |
| Vitamin C | Growth of the bones, healing of wounds, prevents infections, vital for a proper working of the nerves and the brain, healthy skin, teeth, hair, adrenal glands, capillaries and gums; increases the absorption of iron in the body and works with iron in the formation of haemoglobin, … | Bleeding gums, slow healing of wounds, depression, joint pain, … | Citrus fruit, green vegetables, potato, tomatoes, peppers, raisins, … |
| Vitamin D | It is essential to maintain and mobilise calcium and phosphorus in the body, and for a healthy nervous system, heart, skin and thyroid gland, … | Softening of the bones, … | Sunlight, … |
| Vitamin E | A component of every cell membrane, lowers blood pressure, healthy muscles, reduces cholesterol in the blood, … | (Deficiency is very rare in vegans.) A deficiency causes sterility, … | Fruit, nuts, vegetable oils, green vegetables, … |
| Vitamin K | Its specific function is to clot the blood, … | (It is very hard for it to become insufficient, since the microbes in the gut supply it.) | Oats, potato, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, spinach, soya, wheat, strawberries, … |
| Vitamin F | It nourishes the skin and works with vitamin D. It is a vital component in cell membranes, nerve fibres and brain cells, and in the normal working of the reproductive organs, … | Eczema (redness and flaking of an area of skin), spots and acne, diarrhoea, weight loss, dandruff, dryness of the nails and hair, … | Polyunsaturated oils (soya, sunflower, peanut, …), nuts, grains, … |
Macronutrients
| Element | Function in the body | Plant-based sources |
|---|---|---|
| Proteins | They build and repair tissue. They contribute to the formation of antibodies. They take part in keeping the body’s fluids in balance, … | Brewer’s yeast, soya, peanut, pistachios, lentils, chickpeas, cereals (wheat, rye, maize, rice, …), nuts, cauliflower, almonds, peppers, potatoes, seeds, coconut, … |
| Carbohydrates | They act as fuel in the production of heat and muscular work. They turn toxic substances into harmless ones, or into ones easier to eliminate, … | Sugar, plums, rice, potatoes, figs, bread, lentils, bananas, maize, grapes (raisins), sweet potatoes, … |
| Fats | They are an essential constituent in the structure of the tissues. They aid the absorption of vitamin K and of some minerals. They increase the anti-rachitic action of vitamin D. They are insulators. They protect and repair organs, vessels and tissues, … | Avocado, peanut, coconut, nuts, almonds, whole cereals, root vegetables, seeds, soya, … |