What about zinc and selenium on a vegan diet?

The objection

“Meat and shellfish are loaded with zinc and selenium. Vegans must be deficient in both.”

The answer

These two deserve a careful answer, because each behaves differently from iron or protein and each carries its own catch.

Zinc is present in beans, tofu, nuts, seeds and wholegrains, but phytates in plant foods bind it and reduce absorption. Studies show vegan zinc intake is often adequate while absorption runs lower, so the practical RDA sits a little higher. The fix is mechanical and well-established: soaking, sprouting, fermenting and leavening bread break down phytate and free the zinc. Eat those foods, prepared that way, and status is generally fine.

Selenium is the trickier one, and the soil decides it more than the diet does. Plants take up selenium from the ground, so content swings with geography, and the NuEva study found vegans had the lowest selenium status of any diet group, with many below the recommended intake. Here there’s an unusually clean solution. Brazil nuts are extraordinarily selenium-rich, and a recent randomised trial found a small daily portion of Brazil nut butter raised selenium status as effectively as a supplement. Roughly two Brazil nuts a day typically covers requirements, though because they’re so concentrated, a large handful daily can overshoot, so moderation matters.

So zinc and selenium are real planning points rather than deal-breakers. Soak and sprout for zinc; keep a couple of Brazil nuts going for selenium. Both gaps close with food, no animal products needed.