00:00
you

00:05
Hey everyone, it's Mikki here. You're listening to Mini Mikkipedia on a Monday. I want to tell you, I have a webinar running this Wednesday night, if you are picking this up when it is being published, which is Monday the 14th of April. My webinar is all around optimizing vegetarian diets for protein and specifically fat loss. And it may seem...

00:30
unusual that I am taking a focus on vegetarian diets, but actually if we think about it, one of the things that I advocate for is optimizing for dietary protein and to my mind, dietary quality. And these are two areas which are just really difficult to optimize if you fall into a vegetarian approach and you don't really take the time to consider what you need to help support metabolism.

00:57
And metabolism is about way more than just the macronutrients that you consume, carbs, protein, and fats, but it's micronutrients. It's vitamins and minerals. And there are just specific minerals and certain vitamins which are lacking in a vegetarian diet. And we term these zoo nutrients, actually. And I like to refer to them as metabolic nutrients because they do help support metabolism.

01:26
all of the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that we get from plants, these all act as messengers in our metabolism. So they support enzymes, hormone production, they support energy pathways. And if you are lacking in any of these, this just means that things just run a little bit subpar. So this is why the focus on diet quality is so important. And of course, for fat loss and just, I suppose,

01:54
resiliency over time, protein is even more important. And I know a ton of people who follow a vegetarian or a fully plant-based approach, and they really are just lacking in some of these fundamentals. So this is why I'm running a webinar on it. And it is this Wednesday night, 16th of April, 7pm New Zealand time. I'll pop a link in the show notes.

02:20
Today, I just want to cover off some of these metabolic nutrients actually to sort of, I suppose, highlight some of the things I think about when it comes to optimizing for your vegetarian diet. Now, I do want to set the stage though, because I do think it is possible to optimize a vegetarian diet to help promote some pretty incredible health benefits. If you formulate it right, you've got fiber, you've got antioxidants and phytochemicals.

02:49
And all of these things help support and regulate appetite and just overall health. However, when it comes to fat loss, many people find themselves stuck. Or even when they think they're doing everything right. They might be training regularly, they might be eating plenty of vegetables, they're watching their calories or trying to, and still the scales don't budge. And most people assume that it is just the protein story. And of course, while that's part of the picture, there's more going on.

03:16
Vegetarian diets can be lower nutrients as I've said that support metabolism, muscle mass and fat burning capacity. First and foremost though, let's address the muscle mass. It's important to understand why muscle is essential for sustainable fat loss. Muscle is metabolically active. The more muscle you have, the more energy your body burns at rest. It also helps regulate blood sugar, supports hormones and allows you to train harder and recover faster.

03:43
And outside of protein, vegetarian diets often lack nutrients that directly support the building and maintenance of muscle tissue. So over time, this can result in lower lean mass, a reduced metabolic rate, and greater difficulty with fat loss. And I know many people who moved towards a vegetarian or fully plant-based diet with the sole aim of losing fat and it just didn't go their way. In part, it is because

04:11
The sources that we are told are really high in protein are in fact high in carbs and therefore they sort of overshot calories. But I do think a large part of it is twofold. I think it is that they were lacking in these metabolic nutrients, which I'm going to go through. But also I've got to say it and I'll say it here, strength training. It is fundamental to your fat loss approach, even more so if you're not getting that

04:39
quality protein in because it's a vegetarian diet or a plant-based diet. And try to be neutral about that if you're listening to this. I say this because it's often people get emotionally hijacked when you say something like plant-based protein isn't as high quality. It doesn't mean that it can't be, but it certainly doesn't have that amino acid profile that you need. so

05:03
Just before we get onto those nutrients, I will remind you that studies suggest you need 30 % more protein if you're following a plant-based approach to get that array of bioavailable amino acids. And outside of that, resistance training is the key to holding onto muscles. So with that aside, the first nutrient I want to chat about is creatine. And you guys know I love creatine, if you can tolerate it. It is one of the most well-researched supplements in sports nutrition.

05:31
Creatine helps recycle ATP, which is the body's primary energy currency, especially during high intensity exercise. This matters because it can enhance training performance and volume. It supports lean mass gains. It also, in addition to that, aids brain function and mental clarity under stress, and it does help with blood sugar regulation. Vegetarians generally have lower baseline levels of creatine because it is only found in animal products.

05:59
Research shows that vegetarians respond more robustly to creatine supplementation than omnibals or people who eat meat. in terms of what is a therapeutic dose, I chatted to Darren Kando about this and he sort of said, you know what, you can get about say three grams of creatine from the diet if you eat meat. So therefore, supplementing an additional three to five grams is a pretty good idea. So if you're following a vegetarian diet,

06:28
You might need to be upwards of about that five grams of creatine monohydrate per day. And it is effective and it's particularly beneficial for people who resistance train, which if you're following a fat loss approach, is one of the base recommendations. Now I do just want to briefly address some of the side effects that can occur with creatine. And it is of course the bloating as creatine does or can increase a little bit of water retention in the extracellular compartments.

06:56
and of course the intracellular compartments as well. This should settle down over time. There is some suggestion that some women do hold more water during their luteal phase with creatine and I mentioned that in a water retention podcast I did a couple of weeks ago. So I'll just remind you of that as well. But ideally this won't be the case and getting a creatine monohydrate that dissolves well like a micronized creatine is a good idea. Also if creatine monohydrate doesn't

07:25
seem to sit well with you, then trying a creatine hydrochloride is another tip. So that's just a different form of creatine, not as well studied as creatine monohydrate, but anecdotally, it may help with the digestive piece. Carnitine is the next metabolic nutrient. Carnitine plays a key role in shuttling long chain fatty acids into mitochondria, where they are oxidized for energy. So it essentially helps transport fat into the cells of furnace and carnitine helps

07:55
support fat oxidation, enhances endurance and recovery for athletes, can reduce markers of muscle damage post-exercise, and supports mitochondrial energy production. Incarnitine is found predominantly in red meat. Vegetarians have consistently low levels of plasma carnitine, and this may affect fat metabolism and training capacity. L-Carnitine supplements may support performance and recovery, especially in endurance athletes or older adults

08:24
but actually anyone who sort of struggles initially to burn fat, and this may be someone who has come from quite a high carbohydrate approach, may benefit from using Alkanitin. And the dosages which are suggested in the literature are fairly low compared to what might be used out in the field, so to speak. I don't know if you remember, but I chatted to Dom Dagostino about his Alkanitin approach and he was having around three to four grams of it.

08:50
I think starting at about 2 grams is probably a good idea. From powder rather than capsules, it's easier to take. And there's no risk in taking alkanitine. If you're vegetarian, you're not getting it. So it could definitely help support metabolism. Now, zinc is one which is required for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, including those involved in metabolism, immunity, and muscle protein synthesis. Zinc helps support testosterone and other anabolic hormones.

09:19
for both men and women. It influences thyroid hormone conversion as well, you know I'm sure how important an optimal thyroid status is for metabolism. It enhances insulin sensitivity, it aids in muscle recovery and repair, it's involved in stomach acid production and the gut. Plant-based zinc is less bioavailable due to the presence of phytates, which are compounds that inhibit absorption.

09:47
So whilst you may see that there are certain sort plant-based foods that are quote unquote high in zinc, we can't actually use them. So this does put vegetarians at higher risk for deficiency, especially if their diet lacks variation. Zinc picolinate or citrate supplements in the range of about 15 to 30 milligrams per day taken at night can definitely help fill this gap. And if you do include things like legumes in your diet as a vegetarian,

10:16
soaking or fermenting lagoons and grains can help improve zinc availability from whole foods. So that's just worth mentioning. Albeit, there are no real studies to support how much more zinc we're able to absorb using that sort of soaking or fermenting method. A pretty obvious mineral that we need that is lacking in a vegetarian diet would be iron. Again, you will see there are foods which claim to be high in iron.

10:45
But in fact, our ability to utilize that iron is compromised because it is non-heme iron. And from dietary iron, we may get about 2 % or be able to utilize 2 % of that iron that is non-heme iron. Whereas heme iron or iron from meat, we can absorb up to maybe 10%. Iron is essential for the transport and storage of oxygen and muscle tissue and for mitochondrial function.

11:12
It's a key player in aerobic capacity and energy metabolism. It supports endurance in stamina, prevents fatigue and brain fog, it supports the maintenance of lean mass. So as I said, non-heme iron is about two to three times less bioavailable than heme iron. And compounds in many plant foods, these are the oxalates and polyphenols, can further inhibit iron absorption. Do note that the fluoridics

11:38
solution which is often used to help support iron levels, in or for people who are vegetarian, the iron isn't well absorbed so you're actually wasting your money using that product. To improve iron status, you do want to pair iron-rich foods like lentils, chickpeas and tofu with vitamin C to increase absorption. It's minimal but it can definitely make a difference. Of course, avoid drinking tea or coffee with meals as this can inhibit iron uptake and certainly

12:07
Avoid drinking tea or coffee around any supplements you take. Get ferritin levels checked regularly. Ferritin though isn't enough and you do need a full iron panel and I'll discuss why in the webinar. And then supplement with iron if needed under the supervision of a qualified professional. Now it's important and I've talked about low ferritin and high ferritin and I think you're really well aware of that but it is important to get your iron levels

12:35
tested to understand fully if you need a supplement because there can be such a thing as too much of a good thing. One that's not often thought about is vitamin A and that's retinol. Most people associate vitamin A with eye health, know, eat your carrots because it's got so much beta carotene and it'll help your eye health. And you might be thinking, hello, beta carotene isn't vitamin A, it's a precursor to vitamin A or retinol, but the conversion rates are actually pretty low, just so you know.

13:03
Vitamin A's role however extends beyond the eye to immune function, cellular energy and even protein synthesis. Vitamin A supports thyroid hormone function, influences protein synthesis and muscle growth, supports mitochondrial energy production and is essential for immune resilience. Vegetarians typically get vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene which is found in orange and green vegetables. But as I said, this has to be converted to retinol which is the active form.

13:32
and the conversion is highly variable. In some cases, only 5 to 10 % is converted. Genetic polymorphisms such as those with the BCM01 gene can further reduce this conversion efficiency. The BCM01 gene encodes an enzyme called beta-carotene-1515-monooxygenase, and that's responsible for, as I said, converting beta-carotene

13:59
into retinol, which is the active form of vitamin A, also known as retinol. So it does help regulate vitamin A status in people who rely on plant-based sources. And it ensures that the cells have access to retinoids needed for vision, immune, thyroid, gene expression, et cetera. And this does just mean that people who have the SNPs associated with this gene, and they are too sort of long, I suppose, I'm gonna say,

14:28
long named, polymorphisms RS12934922 and RS7501331. These are two well-researched polymorphisms and people with these variants can have up to a 69 % reduction in beta-carotene conversion efficiency. Symptoms of suboptimal vitamin A and you often see this in people who do follow a vegetarian diet, not initially.

14:55
you shift to a vegetarian diet, in this honeymoon phase because your body has these stores, particularly of things like vitamin A, which is fat soluble and just decreases over time. But it can include fatigue, dry skin, poor night vision, low immunity, thyroid stuggishness, or poor recovery from training. And I think the other thing to note with some of these symptoms is these often show up with iron insufficiency as well, and zinc. So

15:23
It's hard to look at these things in isolation, I guess. You will only know if you have that particular gene polymorphism if you have a genetic test. But of course, one way to figure out whether or not you're getting any vitamin A is, know, do you actually consume foods that have this preform vitamin A? And if you are fully plant-based, you're not going to have those foods.

15:51
The main place we get this preformed vitamin A are liver, particularly beef and chicken, eggs or egg yolks actually to be more specific, butter, full fat dairy, cod liver oil and oily fish. So, you know, if you are a vegetarian yet continue to eat dairy and eggs, you may well be fine, but if you are fully plant-based, this is an area that will likely need some consideration.

16:16
And in addition, supplementing with a rational form of vitamin A such as rational palmitate may be beneficial, especially if the symptoms of deficiency which I mentioned are actually present. Now, omega-3 fats such as EPA and DHA, as you know, I did a fantastic interview with Greg Peoples just a few weeks ago on these, critical for regulating inflammation, supporting brain health, and maintaining metabolic flexibility.

16:41
Of course, plant-based diets can provide alpha-linolenic acid from flax, chia, and walnuts. However, the conversion of ALA to the EPA and DHA, which are the active long-chain omega-3s, is extremely limited. And this does matter because those long-chain fatty acids that you need reduces chronic inflammation. Without that, we can have that impairment and fat loss and recovery.

17:07
Those long chain fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity and energy regulation, supports cognition, mood and behavior, all of which influence eating habits and training motivation, obviously, and may also help preserve muscle mass during calorie restriction. One of the first interviews I did actually for Micropedia was on Omega-3s and their impact on muscle mass and bone, which was with Stuart Gray.

17:33
and we discussed the impact that they have on muscle function and aging. And I've also done another podcast on Omega-3s with Bill Harris in 22, and it's important for cognition. So I've done a lot on Omega-3s actually over the years. Now, vegetarians and vegans can obtain preformed EPA and DHA from algae-based supplements such as Nordic Naturals. This is the only plant-based source that provides these active forms directly. So you cannot rely on flax,

18:02
chia and walnuts to get these omega-3s. A supplement which contains a combined amount of EPA and DHA from the algae oil is recommended to bridge this gap. Another metabolic nutrient which isn't often thought about is taurine. Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid-like compound found abundantly in the brain, muscles, heart and retina. While the body can synthesize taurine from methionine and cysteine, with B6 as a cofactor,

18:30
Endogenous production may not be sufficient to meet our physiological demands, especially during periods of stress, illness, intense training, or calorie restriction. Torium plays a key role in mitochondrial function, helping cells produce energy efficiently. It acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, reducing oxidative stress from training, supports muscle contraction and performance, enhances fat oxidation and insulin sensitivity, and may support moon and cognition, which

18:59
indirectly helps consistency in training and eating patterns. as you know, consistency and adherence are the primary factors which drive successful fat loss. Vegetarians and vegans typically consume no dietary taurine because it is found almost exclusively in animal-based foods like meat, fish, and dairy. And although the body can synthesize it, as I mentioned, studies have shown that emplasmorin tissue

19:24
In tissue, taurian levels are significantly lower in those following plant-based diets, which may have implications for muscle function and metabolic flexibility. So the recommendation is to supplement with 1-3 grams per day. This has been shown to improve exercise performance, reduce muscle damage, and support metabolic health, particularly in people under metabolic or oxidative stress. So why do all of these things matter? The common advice to eat less and move more, this is a huge part of the picture.

19:53
Your metabolism and fat burning potential depend on your ability to preserve and build lean muscle mass, support energy production at the cellular level, maintain healthy hormone and thyroid function, train and recover effectively. So without adequate levels of these metabolic nutrients, creatine, zinc, iron, vitamin A, carnitine, omega-3, taurine, your body might struggle to build mass, oxidize fat, and regulate hunger and energy.

20:21
And over time, this creates a metabolic environment that is less responsive to fat loss, even if your macros and calories look ideal on paper. But you do not need to give up your plant-based values to get results. You do, however, need to be strategic. Filling in these nutritional gaps through a combination of food and smart supplementation can restore your body's capacity to build muscle and lose fat effectively. And that is what I'm going to be talking about in the webinar I'm doing this Wednesday night.

20:49
on vegetarian diets, optimizing for nutrients and proteins. So check out the show notes for a link to that. I think you're really gonna love it. If this is you, let your mates know as well. If you've got any questions on it, hit me up in the DMs. I'm on @mikkiwilliden on Instagram, threads and X, @mikkiwillidennutrition on Facebook. Head to my website, mikkiwilliden.com. You'll see a banner there to sign up for that webinar. All right, team, you have the best week. See you later.