Overview of vegan products at ESN and their benefits

Proteins

• Vegan protein sources
• L-leucine threshold value
• Vegan protein sources at ESN

General

A vegan diet is becoming increasingly popular for many people these days. Many products have been specially developed for vegans and new vegan alternatives are introduced almost daily. The supplement market in particular is characterised by a large number of new vegan products. As a consumer, it is difficult to keep track of the quality and benefits of the individual products. The following article provides information on what to look out for in a balanced and healthy vegan diet and which supplements can be useful for vegans. As a vegan, you will inevitably have to take a closer look at your diet than a ‘normal person’ in order to cover all the important and essential macro and micronutrients and vitamins.

The products we offer are a supplement to a healthy diet and do not have to be used. In this article we would like to inform you about what you can take.

Special requirements for a vegan diet

By avoiding animal products, a purely vegan diet can lead to certain deficiencies in the supply of macronutrients, micronutrients and vitamins. This is discussed in more detail below.

Proteins

Vegan protein sources

According to the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), proteins contribute to maintaining and increasing muscle mass. You should therefore consume sufficient protein each day. We recommend 2 g per kilogramme of body weight.

In general, a vegetarian or vegan diet is inferior to an omnivorous diet from a bodybuilding perspective and requires more careful monitoring of protein quality to compensate for this. With a vegan diet, you should pay careful attention to your choice of protein sources. In contrast to an omnivorous diet. The following difficulties can occur with a vegan diet:

• Amino acid profile: Plant proteins often have an incomplete amino acid profile compared to animal proteins. It can be difficult to obtain all essential amino acids in sufficient quantities.

• Biological value: The digestibility and absorption of plant proteins can be lower than animal proteins.

• Flavour and texture: Some people find the taste and texture of plant proteins less appealing. 

• Additional ingredients: Plant-based protein powders often contain more fillers or flavourings to improve the taste.

• Quantity requirements: Often a larger amount of plant protein needs to be consumed to achieve the same amount of protein as animal sources.

As described above, some plant proteins are incomplete, meaning they do not contain all nine essential amino acids. This can be balanced out by combining different protein sources. Vegans should therefore combine foods sensibly in order to cover all essential amino acids. Rice, hemp and pea protein appear to provide relatively useful amino acids. Taking their amino acid composition into account, this means that it is advisable for vegans to choose pea protein powder or a mixture of pea and rice protein powder if they wish to use protein powder as a dietary supplement.

Note the L-leucine threshold value

According to research by Stuart Phillips, a leading expert on protein intake, you should consume at least 0.3g of protein per kilogram of body weight with each meal, with each meal having a complete amino acid profile. Protein sources with a high leucine content, such as egg protein and dairy products, may only require 0.24 g/kg. Plant protein sources generally contain less leucine (6-8% of total protein) compared to animal proteins (8-11%). Vegetarians should therefore either supplement with essential amino acids or ensure that they consume 2.4g of protein per kg of body weight daily and ensure that each meal meets a complete amino acid profile and the leucine threshold.

Vegan protein sources at ESN

Our vegan protein powder - Designer Vegan Protein - has been carefully formulated and produced. The mix of pea, hemp and sunflower protein provides you with full flavour, incredible creaminess, valuable proteins and a complete amino acid profile. The protein powder contains no added sugar and gives you a convenient and optimal opportunity to cover your protein requirements as a vegan.

Try it out for yourself. 

Another good protein product to cover your protein requirements is our Designer Vegan Protein Pudding.

Click here for Designer Vegan Protein Pudding.

Vitamins & trace elements

Vitamins, nutrients and trace elements form the basis of a healthy diet.
We can control all three components ourselves and thus influence our performance level positively or negatively. However, a balanced diet requires more extensive knowledge. Even if you have this knowledge, it is not always easy, especially as an athlete, to cover your vitamin, mineral and trace element requirements exclusively through a vegan diet. Although it is generally possible as part of a balanced and varied diet, it does require some planning. Supplementing your diet with a supplement tailored to the individual needs of athletes is then a convenient and efficient solution.

Trace elements such as selenium or iodine are often forgotten, which is why we have significant doses of these in the Athlete Stack.

To solve this basic problem efficiently and simply, we have developed the Athlete Stack (Men and Women).

Athlete Stack: Men Athlete Stack: Women

You can find out more about the benefits and ingredients in the product article.

Vitamin B12

This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products. Vegans should therefore consume fortified foods (such as plant milk, breakfast cereals) or take a vitamin B12 supplement. You can have your doctor check whether you have a deficiency with the help of a blood count. The following laboratory parameters are relevant for a meaningful determination of vitamin B12 status: Total vitamin B12, holo-transcobalamin (holo-TC) and methylmalonic acid (MMS) in the serum. Vitamin B12 is not analysed as part of a small or large blood count.

We recommend our vitamin B12 spray to ensure an optimal supply of the important vitamin B12.

You can find more information about the product here.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Even though vegetarians and vegans generally eat a diet higher in omega-3 and have higher blood plasma levels than average, it can be useful to supplement their diet with a high-quality supplement based on algae oil.

We have developed algae oil-based omega-3 fatty acids for vegans. The recommended daily dose we use is perfectly adequate for vegetarians and vegans.

We have already written about the various and many benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet in this article. 

ESN Vegan supplements

In addition to the products listed above, we also offer a wide range of other vegan vital substances and food supplements. Our products are carefully formulated to optimally support your health and well-being. We attach great importance to quality and sustainability so that you can be sure you are only getting the best for your body.

Here you can find all of our vegan supplements.

All vegan supplements

All other products not listed there are not vegan.

Conclusion

A vegan diet is a completely legitimate alternative to an omnivorous diet. If you decide to follow a vegan diet, it is important to ensure a balanced nutrient intake to avoid deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. However, a well-planned vegan diet can fulfil all these needs and is a healthy and sustainable way of eating.