When optimising your health, certain nutrients are non-negotiable. These essential compounds play critical roles in energy production, brain function, and muscle health.
And you won’t find them in plant foods—ever!
These nutrients are unique to animal sources, making them vital for anyone focused on thriving, not just surviving.
Let’s break down each one and why it matters:
1. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Role:Essential for red blood cell formation, nerve function, and DNA synthesis.
• Deficiency Risks:Fatigue, neurological damage, cognitive decline, and anemia.
• Sources:Red meat, fish, eggs, and organ meats.
B12 is completely absent in plant foods, and deficiencies can take years to surface—by the time symptoms appear, damage may already be done.
Supplementing B12 is common for vegans, but animal foods are by far the most bioavailable source.
2. Creatine
• Role:Critical for energy production, especially in high-intensity exercise and brain function.
• Deficiency Risks:Reduced strength, impaired brain performance, and muscle fatigue.
• Sources:Beef, fish, and poultry.
Creatine is a key player for athletic performance and cognitive function. Studies show it enhances muscle strength and endurance, while also supporting memory and brain health. There’s no plant-based alternative that provides creatine naturally.
3. Carnosine
• Role:A powerful antioxidant that prevents cellular damage, reduces inflammation, and delays aging.
• Deficiency Risks:Increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
• Sources:Meat, poultry, and fish.
Carnosine protects your muscles and brain from oxidative damage, helping with anti-aging and disease prevention. It’s only found in animal tissues and cannot be obtained from plant foods.
4. Heme Iron
• Role:Vital for oxygen transport and energy production.
• Deficiency Risks:Anemia, fatigue, impaired immune function.
• Sources:Red meat, liver, and shellfish.
Unlike non-heme iron from plants, heme ironis highly bioavailable and efficiently absorbed by the body. Relying solely on plant-based iron sources can lead to deficiency, especially in women and athletes.
5. DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
• Role:Critical for brain development, cognitive function, and heart health.
• Deficiency Risks:Cognitive decline, depression, poor vision, and inflammation.
• Sources:Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
While some plant-based sources contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), the conversion to DHA is inefficient—less than 5% makes it to the usable form. DHA is essential for brain and heart health and is only reliably available in animal foods.
6. Vitamin D (D3)
• Role:Supports bone health, immune function, and hormone regulation.
• Deficiency Risks:Depression, weakened immune function, bone loss, and hormonal imbalances.
• Sources:Fatty fish, egg yolks, and liver.
Vitamin D from animal sources (D3) is significantly more bioavailable than plant-based D2. Low vitamin D levels are linked to chronic illnesses, making this nutrient indispensable.
7. Taurine
• Role:Supports cardiovascular health, bile salt production, and nervous system function.
• Deficiency Risks:Impaired heart health, anxiety, and poor liver function.
• Sources:Meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Taurine is essential for cardiovascular health, electrolyte balance, and overall cellular function. It’s simply not present in plant foods, which can leave plant-based diets lacking in this critical amino acid.
Why This Matters
If you want to optimise your physical and mental performance, recovery, and overall health, these nutrients are key.
Plant-based diets can leave critical gaps, leading to deficiencies over time. While supplementation can help fill some gaps, it’s far from an ideal solution compared to consuming these nutrients in their most natural and bioavailable forms—animal-based foods.
If you have to rely on supplements to meet your basic nutritional needs, then by definition, your diet itself is inadequate.
Incorporating nutrient-rich foods like red meat, fish, organ meats, eggs, and dairy ensures that your body has everything it needs to function at its best.
