Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

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I noticed in your response to another question that you recommend omega-3 supplementation for pregnant women. What about omega-6 and -9? Also, aren't pregnant women supposed to avoid flax, hemp, and primrose, which are what the veg supplements are made of, because they increase the risk of miscarriage? Please help. I took flax throughout my last pregnancy and it was fine, but I don't want to make the same mistake again.

I recommend omega-3 supplements because of clinical research suggesting that vegans' essential fatty acid intake (from foods) largely favors the omega 6, throwing off a healthy balance with omega-3's. This research has also been confirmed with studies looking at vegans' fatty acid status in the body.

All essential fatty acids are important, but because most vegan diets are relatively low in EPA and DHA (the omega-3's), vegans (pregnant and not) would benefit from omega-3 supplements. Most vegans consume plenty of omega-6 fats, and thus do not need additional through supplements. Omega-9 fatty acids are not essential, which means that the body can synthesize the fat as needed by the body. Furthermore, omega 9's are found in many vegan foods including olives, nuts, and their oils.

Whatever type of diet a pregnant woman follows, it is important (with regard to essential fatty acids) that she include healthful sources of fats daily. Whole foods like nuts, seeds, avocadoes, and olives supply plenty of essential fats (but typically not enough omega-3's for ideal balance).

Oils, in small amounts, are acceptable but not recommended as the main source of fat, as they are still processed and missing the nutrients found in the original food. As far as flax seed, some health experts believe that flax oil supplements are not safe during pregnancy. Flax is a phytoestrogen and thus may interfere with female hormones. No human studies have confirmed this, so it's simply a precaution. I think eating flax seeds during pregnancy in moderation is fine, but taking it daily as a supplement might be overdoing it. I never heard, personally or clinically, of any negative effect, but this does not mean that it is 100% safe. Would I worry if I was told that a woman took flax every day the whole 9 months? No, I would not. The relative risk is quite low. On the other hand, I do err on the side of caution so I make recommendations based on scientific research and minimal risk.

Here's a link with this precaution explained, so you can see where it comes from:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-flaxseed.html

On the other hand, vegan DHA supplements do not exhibit hormonal effects, as the DHA is extracted straight from algae, and are considered safe to consume during pregnancy. This is why I advise a whole foods plant-based diet plus omega-3 supplements for optimal fatty acid status in pregnant women.

As far as hemp and primrose: data are limited as far as any risk during pregnancy, but on the other hand, why would one add these as supplements? According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, evening primrose oil may help with certain health conditions, but it does not appear to affect pregnancy symptoms or labor duration. It also doesn't offer nutritional benefits over other fats. Hemp seed oil is an excellent source of omega-3 and other fats, but its use during pregnancy has not been studied extensively. It makes good sense to avoid large concentrations of any supplement during pregnancy, so I do not recommend either in supplement form. However, I see no problem with hemp seeds, hemp food products, and hemp seed oil in moderation (no more than 1-2 servings a day).

As with most things, it IS possible to overdo omega-3s, and this is not healthy! Use good judgment with any supplementation. Our bodies have a built-in mechanism to tell us to stop eating food when we are full, but it is very easy to swallow too many pills and capsules. In addition, if you include several servings of flax and hemp products every day, you may not need DHA supplements at all. More is not necessarily better; we need to achieve balance, which may be tricky with fatty acids, since every diet is different and it is difficult to measure and track small amounts of fat (which is all we need—1-2% of our calorie intake should ideally come from omega-3 fats). Nutritionists often express our needs for omega-3's as a ratio with omega-6. According to Brenda Davis, RD, a fatty acid and vegan nutrition expert, the ideal ratio for vegans (of omega-6 to omega-3) is 2:1 to 4:1.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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