Dr Saravanan

Dr R Saravanan is a Homeopathic Physician, Plant-Based Nutrition Expert & World Peace Diet Facilitator. He has been featured in the best life changing book "Rethink Food: 100+ Doctors Can't Be Wrong". He facilitates various holistic health seminars and wellness programs.

Zinc is essential mineral needed for the function of the immune system, growth, and development, as well as the healing of wounds and skin health. Symptoms of a deficiency  in Zinc are thinning of hair, poor appetite, frequent infections, delayed wound healing and poor neurological function.

Plant foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds contain zinc. But the phytates present in these foods can reduce the absorption of this mineral.

Soaking and sprouting grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds will reduce the phytate content and therefore can contribute to zinc being absorbed.

 

Probiotics are the good bacteria that help keep the body healthy. They aid digestion of food and protect us from harmful bacteria. These bacteria thrive in soluble plant fiber called prebiotics. Plant-based foods are good sources of this prebiotics.

Some sources of probiotic foods for vegans are Rejuvelac made with wheat or brown rice, coconut or water kefir, soy or peanut or cashew curd/ buttermilk and lacto fermented vegetables.

 

Iron is needed for energy production, oxygen transport and DNA synthesis in the body. Traditionally, It was assumed, that Iron could be obtained from meat based foods.

Heme iron present in meat is easily absorbed and therefore can lead to an iron overload. (Iron overload can lead to formation of free radicals, which in turn can increase cancer risk). Whereas the non-heme iron, which is present in plant-based sources cannot cause iron overload, reducing cancer risk for vegans.  Vitamin C, which is found in a lot of plant foods can help in the better absorption of this non-heme iron.

Good sources of iron in plant-based foods are dark green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils. Dry fruits such as raisins, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds also provide iron.

 

Most 40 plus women tend to get osteoporosis (a disease characterized by weakness of bones) and are recommended to take calcium supplements or increase milk consumption. It is estimated that osteoporosis affects about 200 million women worldwide.

But neither supplemental calcium nor milk consumption can help prevent osteoporosis. Statistics reveal that hip fracture rates are higher in countries where calcium intake is higher. Meanwhile, countries that consume little or no dairy and calcium supplements have lower fracture rates. This is called the “calcium paradox” by the World Health Organization. The Harvard Nurses  Health Study which followed 75000 women over 12 years, found that increased milk intake did not protect against the risk of bone fracture.

To have strong bones, it is very important to avoid calcium loss from the bones. A diet that is high in calcium depleting foods such as meat, dairy products, refined sugar, excess salt, soda drinks, alcohol, coffee and tea could increase the risk of osteoporosis. So these calcium depleting foods should be eliminated from the diet.

Calcium found in plant foods are easily absorbed by the body. Also, plant foods provide other bone-strengthening nutrients such as vitamin K, magnesium and zinc. Beans, greens, almonds and sesame seeds are excellent sources of calcium.

Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption and healthier bones. Sunlight exposure will be helpful to get this nutrient. For those with vitamin D deficiency, supplementation is essential. Exercise also strengthens bones.

In a nutshell, whole plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and sunlight exposure would help improve bone health.

 

Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin. It is actually a hormone, that is needed for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. The deficiency of this vitamin has been linked to osteoporosis, depression, heart disease and certain types of cancers.

The best natural source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Human skin can make this vitamin with the help of ultraviolet B rays from the Sun. There are several factors that influence the production of Vitamin D such as skin color, weather, time of day, usage of sunscreens etc.

Prolonged exposure to sunlight does not result in increased vitamin D level. On average,  20 minutes of exposure in the bright midday sun, can be helpful to meet the daily requirement of Vitamin D. But for people with little or no sunlight exposure and deficiency,  additional vitamin D supplement should be considered. Moreover, breastfeeding mothers and infants may also need vitamin D supplementation.

 

A healthy diet plays a significant role in helping the recovery after a bone fracture. Nutrients such as calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, Zinc, boron, and lysine are needed to help heal broken bones.

Greens, beans, almonds and sesame seeds provide plenty of calcium, which is the vital nutrient needed for the bones. As well as calcium, magnesium is also needed for stronger bones as this nutrient is crucial to bone formation. Plant foods such as green leafy vegetables, beans, legumes, brown rice, almonds and cashews, banana etc are rich in magnesium.

Zinc is found in whole grains, lentils, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Boron is a key element for bone health, which helps in the utilization and metabolism of calcium and vitamin D, as well as for overall hormonal balance.  Apple, banana, raisins, chickpeas, beans, and legumes are some of the plant-based sources of this nutrient. Lysine is an amino acid which helps in the absorption of calcium and formation of collagen, a substance which is vital for bones and connective tissues. Lentils and beans are rich in this nutrient.  

Vitamin C is essential for collagen formation and wound healing. Leafy greens, papaya, melon,  citrus fruits and berries, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, sweet potato etc, are some of the good sources of vitamin C.  Vitamin D is crucial for maintenance of bone health and can be obtained through sunlight exposure and supplements. Vitamin K is important for bone formation and can be found in dark leafy vegetables.

By following a plant-based diet, supplementing with vitamin D and by eliminating animal protein, caffeine, sugar, the recovery can be accelerated.

 

People who don’t consume dairy and meat need not suffer a deficiency of protein and calcium in the long run. Most people suffer from protein excess and not deficiency. The protein from animal based foods can cause osteoporosis, kidney disease and some cancers. From various studies, it is clear that dairy is not the best source of calcium, but could contribute to osteoporosis.

A healthy plant-based diet can meet the protein and calcium needs of every age groups. Plant sources provide complete proteins and calcium.

Plant foods such as lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds are rich sources of protein. Millets, amaranth, brown rice & other whole grains have plenty of protein. Most vegetables and fruits have protein content in them. Eating varied plant-based foods will be sufficient to get high-quality protein.

Leafy greens and beans, amaranth, sesame seeds and finger millet are some of the plant sources which provide calcium in abundance. Calcium from plant sources is easily digested, absorbed and assimilated in the body.

 

Fatigue is a common symptom, of which most diabetics complain of. Our body cells need energy in the form of glucose. Insulin is secreted to make the entry of glucose possible into the cells. But when fat particles accumulate inside the cells, insulin cannot attach itself to the cell membranes and thus the glucose cannot enter the cells, leading to increased blood sugar levels. This condition is called insulin resistance, which is the cause of type 2 diabetes. Whereas in Type 1 diabetes,  there will be an inadequate secretion of insulin.

The cells are deprived of glucose, diabetics (both type 1 & 2) experience fatigue, and extreme weakness. Type 2 diabetes and its complications can be easily reversed with a low fat plant-based ( vegan ) diet. Type 1 diabetics could be able to reduce their insulin intake and thus could prevent most complications of diabetes with a low-fat vegan diet.

 

It is good that the oil intake has been cut down. He also needs to cut down his salt intake. He can try a low fat plant based diet, which has a significant role in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels and can help in weight reduction too. Oil free plant based recipes can be made tasty with moderate spices and salt. Make sure that his vitamin B12 and D levels are normal by doing the necessary blood tests. He can follow a regular exercise regimen and adopt stress management strategies to support his health and wellbeing. With these dietary and lifestyle changes he may be able to control or even reverse hypertension. 

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