You may have noticed that the vegan, or plant-based, diet is receiving a lot of attention these days as more people make the choice to refrain from eating animal based foods. However, with this new popularity comes much scrutiny as well. People are still under the misconception that a vegan diet does not contain all the essential nutrients needed to be healthy. This has been proven to be untrue time and time again in vast scientific research. In this blog, I will review the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K and show you how to get fat soluble vitamins on a vegan diet.
Many people, from parents who’s child has decided she is no longer going to eat animals because they’re her friends to health care professionals, question if the vegan diet can provide all the nutrients necessary to maintain good health. The good news is that research and health care professionals are proving that a vegan diet is the healthiest diet when it is rich in a variety of whole-foods not one that is built solely on processed and junk vegan foods.
Besides the question of how to get enough protein with plants, another common topic is whether or not a plant-based diet can provide enough fat-soluble vitamins for optimal health. There are a variety of ways to get enough fat soluble vitamins in a vegan diet you just need to know how.
What’s the difference between the types of vitamins?
Vitamins are classified into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble.
Most vitamins are water-soluble, which means they dissolve in water. These vitamins are used in the body by being absorbed in the water and either delivered to the parts of the body that require them or eliminated. Have you ever taken multi-vitamins and noticed the smell of vitamins when you urinate? That is the water-soluble vitamins that could not be used by the body flushing out of your system. This elimination is especially common when the vitamin is synthetic as opposed to a natural food source because synthetic vitamins are not as bioavailable (useable by the body).
Fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, are most abundant in foods that are high in fat and best absorbed when ingested with fat. Because these vitamins are abundant in fatty foods they are best known to be found in animal-based foods. However, plant-based foods have been shown, through extensive research, to provide more than enough fat-soluble vitamins.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is a fat-soluble vitamin supports the body in a variety of ways including:
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- Vision maintenance
- Immune system function
- Cell growth
- Hair growth
- Maintain fertility and fetal development
It’s true that the most abundant dietary sources of vitamin A are from animal foods such as liver, fish liver oil and butter.
However, studies have shown that vitamin A precursors, such as beta-carotene are abundant in red, yellow and orange vegetables, as well as some leafy, dark-green vegetables. The body uses these retinol activity equivalents (RAE’s) by converting them into vitamin A to be used by the body.
Although it many be easier for a meat eater to get the adequate amounts of vitamin A people who choose to refrain from eating animals can get enough when they eat a well-balanced, whole-food diet.
If you are vegan and are concerned about your vitamin A intake you can meet your vitamin A requirement for the day by adding an abundant amount of these foods into your diet:
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- Carrot juice (1/4 cup per day)
- Dark leafy greens such as kale or spinach
- Sweet potatoes
- Cantaloupe
- Dark orange winter squashes, including pumpkin
According to research it is important to eat more plant-based foods to ensure you get enough of the precursors required to produce vitamin A. Therefore, it is important that vegans pay special attention to eating foods that are rich in colour, specifically yellow and orange foods to get enough.
Vitamin D 
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that the human body makes when exposed to sunlight. Which is a good thing since vitamin D food sources are limited.
However, for those of us who live in places where we don’t get much skin exposure to sunlight due to cold temperatures it is important to supplement or eat foods rich in vitamin D.
Vitamin D supports the body by:
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- Regulating calcium and potassium levels to support bone maintenance
- Regulating and strengthening the immune system
As mentioned above, the body can produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight; however, the main food sources for vitamin D include fatty fish, fish oil and mushrooms that have been treated with ultraviolet light.
There are two types of vitamin D:
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- Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol): Found in mushrooms and some plants.
- Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): Found in animal-sourced foods, such as eggs and fish oil, and produced by your skin when exposed to sunlight.
Many will argue that the plant-based version of vitamin D is not as effective. However, vitamin D2 has been shown to be as effective in raising blood levels of this nutrient as animal-derived vitamin D3 when it’s taken at it’s recommend dose.
As a vegan, you will want to pay particular attention to getting adequate amounts of vitamin D. Therefore, it’s essential to work with your physician to ensure you are getting enough. You can do your part in getting enough by:
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- Getting into the sun (time will vary depending on type of skin).
- Taking a high quality vitamin D supplement (please contact physician before taking a supplement).
Vitamin E 
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that prevents oxidative stress and the breakdown of cellular tissue. This vitamin is well known for its anti-aging properties and skin enhancing benefits.
Getting enough of this fat-soluble vitamin isn’t usually a concern for vegans because it’s abundantly found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts, which are a large part of the plant-based diet. Vitamin E deficiency is usually rare so it’s not as much of a concern for those on a vegan diet.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is an important fat-soluble vitamin; however, getting enough through the diet doesn’t seem to be too much of a concern since it’s produced by gut bacteria in the colon.
Vitamin K supports body function by:
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- Helping the body form blood clots. Without vitamin K you would bleed to death if you were cut.
- Supporting bone health.
- Preventing the calcification of blood vessels.
- Potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.
This vitamin is divided into two main groups:
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- Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone): Found in plant-sourced foods and is the main form of vitamin K in the diet.
- Vitamin K2 (menaquinone): This variety of vitamin K is found in animal-sourced foods and fermented soy product. Vitamin K2 is also produced by gut bacteria in the colon.
- Sources mention that there are also three synthetic forms: vitamin K3, vitamin K4 and vitamin K5
Best plant-based food sources of this nutrient are:
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- Leafy green vegetables
- Vegetables oils (canola, soy, olive)
- Natto (fermented soy product)
Some may argue that because the main source of Vitamin K2 is animal products a vegan may become deficient and have problems with blood clotting. However, studies have shown there to be no difference in blood clotting ability between vegans and meat eaters likely because it is made but gut bacteria and doesn’t require you to eat it.
What if you can’t eat enough food?
It is true that the recommended servings of seven to 10 fruits and vegetables seems like a lot. However, the reason for this recommendation is so that you get enough vitamins and minerals to support good health.
If you are conscious of eating a well-balanced, whole food diet rich in plant foods you will not be deficient in these nutrients.
Usually problems occur when people choose to go vegan but then live off of processed and vegan junk food such as pasta, baking and boxed foods instead of eating a large variety of beans and legumes, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.
Even if you’re eating a well-balanced, whole food diet you still might find it hard to ingest the vast amount require for optimal health. For example, as mentioned above the average person requires seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain good health. An athlete requires up to 25 servings of fruit and veggies to prevent oxidative stress and and maintain good health. That’s a lot of food and for most people this isn’t possible without supplementation.
If you choose to use supplements to get enough vitamins in your diet it is important that you stay away from synthetic forms of vitamins as they have been shown to cause toxicity in the body.
Therefore, be sure to get your vitamins from natural food-based sources. There is really only one whole food supplement brand I would recommend because it’s backed by top quality research, is 100% plant based and I’ve been taking it for years now and have seen many benefits from it.
The only fat soluble vitamin I use supplements for is vitamin D in a spray form. However, please consult a physician before using any vitamins, especially fat-soluble vitamins and you can overdose on fat-soluble vitamins.
If you want more information about this whole food supplement please comment below or email me at livingmeatless@gmail.com.
Until next time…
Namaste,
Rachel Joy Olsen, BSc., MBA
Vegan, Author, Health & Wellness Coach