Eliminate meat, live longer and feel better.
TRUE?
Yes, but only up to a point because not all vegetarian diets are healthy.
You can eat an unhealthy vegetarian diet that seriously harms your health, according to research from the European Society of Cardiology.
This could be due to poor food choices (donuts count as vegetarian) or poor diet management.
That being said, most vegetarians do take care of their health and tend to take supplements that fix any deficiencies, but this isn’t an exact science, so beware of these mistakes.
- Supplements are not substitutes
People who follow a plant-based diet may be deficient in vitamins B and D, as well as zinc and iron. Whole foods have enzymes that help unlock these nutrients better than many supplements, so have your blood levels checked every few months to make sure you’re on track, even if you’re taking supplements.
- Believing plant-based is code for health
Supplement 101: Always read the label.
Just because it says it’s plant-based doesn’t mean there aren’t all kinds of cheap additives you don’t really need, like sugar.
Make sure you thoroughly understand what you are putting into your body, and do some research on the products you intend to use.
- Being too focused on your protein budget
The cheapest and often best-selling protein supplement is not always the best indicator of quality, even if it is organic or plant-based.
A study by the non-profit Clean Label Project tested 134 of the best-selling protein powders on Amazon and found that 75% of the plant-based products had measurable levels of lead. Oh!
Plants tend to take up heavy metals that may be in the soil or irrigation water and can absorb and biomagnify these toxins in potentially harmful amounts. Proper quality control will consider this concern and include heavy metals in ongoing testing.
- Believing that plant-based supplements are drug-free
Plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean drug-free, a vital consideration if you’re subjected to stringent drug testing as an athlete, first responder, or military service member. Like heavy metals, plants have been shown to absorb drugs from treated wastewater used for irrigation, which means drugs we use every day can be recycled in small amounts in our food.
It has even been shown that plants synthesize human steroid hormones such as testosterone or androstenedione. Plant sterols that are naturally present can also be converted to anabolic steroids in the presence of certain microbiological agents.
Choosing supplements that use third-party certification to verify and represent product quality can keep you clean. The Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) is a leader in third-party testing and certification for dietary supplements.
Look for the BSCG Certified Drug Free and BSCG Certified Quality seals. Both programs begin with an in-depth review of quality control, regulatory compliance, and verify that products are manufactured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). This lays the foundation for any good product.
The BSCG Certified Drug Free program is the sports standard that provides industry-leading protection with every batch tested for over 500 banned substances and offers the best available protection for athletes, first responders, members of the military or other professionals subjected to stringent tests. of drugs. The program also requires verification of label claims and screening for environmental contaminants annually.
The BSCG Certified Quality program is the retail standard designed for consumer and regulatory protection. This annual testing program examines our industry-leading banned substance testing menu that covers more than 500 drugs, verifies label claims, and looks for potential toxins such as heavy metals, microbiological agents, pesticides, and solvents.
BSCG is recognized as a leader in third-party certification by the NIH-ODS, UFC, LPGA, NBA, CrossFit, Sport Nutrition and Dietitian Japan (SNDJ), Canadian Sport Institute, US Department of Defense Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) to name a few.
The BSCG seals should fill you with the confident feeling that your supplement does what it says on the label and is not contaminated with substances banned in sport or other potential drug contaminants.
Plants and plant-based products can certainly be your friend when it comes to nutrition, but beware of these pitfalls. Certified supplements can help ensure you’re getting the benefits of plant-based nutrition.
