If you are pregnant and follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, it can sometimes be hard to know if your diet contains everything your growing baby requires. In this blog post, I will cover the potential nutritional gaps that could affect pregnant women following these diets.
Vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy if planned for and carried out correctly. However, everyone is different and it’s always important to take note of how you feel during your pregnancy.
There are several key vitamins and minerals that may be more difficult to obtain through a vegan and vegetarian diet, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, iodine, choline, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids
The vegan and vegetarian source of omega-3 is called ALA and is found in flaxseed, hempseed, chia, and walnuts. ALA can be converted to omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. DHA is important for foetal brain, nervous system, and eye development, so pregnant women require higher levels (a suggested amount is 300mg per day). EPA and DHA are found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. Some people are better at converting ALA to EPA and DHA based on their genetics, but during pregnancy this is likely not adequate.
Supplementing with a good quality omega-3 oil can help to meet this need. A vegan and vegetarian source of DHA is algae oil – this is the same DHA found in oily fish (as the fish eat the algae). Algae oil supplements are safe to consume in pregnancy, if the supplements have a high standard of manufacturing and are from trusted high-quality brands that ensure purity. However, it’s important to note that algae oils contain very little or no EPA. Vegans and vegetarians should therefore consume enough omega-3 fatty acid ALA so that some can be converted into EPA, although the conversion rate is quite low. Omega-3 supplements should not be confused with cod liver oil, which contains high levels of Vitamin A and is therefore not safe during pregnancy. Ensure that supplements are safe to use during pregnancy by consulting your nutritional therapist.
Choline
Studies have found that pregnant women can often be deficient in choline, an important nutrient involved in many foetal developmental stages such as spinal cord and brain development. A good source of choline is eggs, but vegans may be missing out on adequate choline if they are not eating enough legumes, peanuts, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.
Iron, calcium, and iodine
Iron deficiency is often a common problem during pregnancy which is not unique to vegan and vegetarian mothers, as iron stores are used to create foetal red blood cells. Consuming iron rich foods such as leafy greens, lentils, and tofu with a source of vitamin C, such as lemon juice or peppers can increase iron absorption.
Vegans should also pay attention to calcium intake, and ensure adequate intake of tofu, legumes, sesame seeds, and leafy green vegetables.
Vegans may also be deficient in iodine, which is primarily found in seafood but also in dairy and eggs. Iodine is important for thyroid health. It is found in seaweed, but in varying amounts therefore is not a reliable source. Vegans and vegetarians should talk to their healthcare provider or nutritional therapist and consider supplementing with iodine.
What about protein?
Vegan women also need to ensure that they are consuming enough protein for healthy foetal growth. It’s easy to obtain enough protein on a well-planned vegan diet. Each meal should contain a plant-based source of protein, such as 150g of tofu, tempeh, lentils and other legumes, handful of nuts and seeds, nut butters, and substituting white rice or pasta for quinoa or brown rice.
Pregnant women who may struggle to obtain enough protein due to nausea or food aversions may benefit from a clean good quality protein powder added, for example, to a smoothie or within porridge oats for breakfast. But this is not a substitute for whole-food sources of protein.
Supplementation during pregnancy
Although it’s always best to try and consume vitamin and minerals through food, a good quality pregnancy multivitamin can help to cover any gaps in your nutrition. I would especially recommend supplementing vitamin B12 (which is only found in animal-based foods) and vitamin D3, along with the recommended levels (400 micrograms daily) of folate, which is the natural form of folic acid. It’s always a good idea to take a blood test to understand your levels of iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 before supplementing.
Conclusions
Vegan and vegetarian diets can be safe, but more care should be taken to plan and assess the nutrients that are found within food. Any gaps in nutrition should be supplemented appropriately, with good quality supplements that do not contain fillers, binders, and unnecessary ingredients. A good option is to contact a registered nutritional therapist to discuss your diet and any symptoms you have during your pregnancy. They can recommend the best supplements from brands that they trust, based on your blood tests and symptoms during your pregnancy.
If you would like some expert guidance in this area, feel free to book a free consultation with me, by clicking here.
Sources
Greenberg JA, Bell SJ, Ausdal WV. Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplementation during pregnancy. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Fall;1(4):162-9
Hoan Thi Nguyen, Pande Putu Ida Oktayani, Shin-Da Lee, Li-Chi Huang, Choline in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Nutrition Reviews, 2024;, nuae026.
Jiang H, Powers HJ, Rossetto GS. A systematic review of iodine deficiency among women in the UK. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Apr;22(6):1138-1147.
NHS. Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy.
Dr Anna Sanniti 