As a vegetarian, do i need to take vitamin supplements?
This is a good question and one i often see in online forums and message boards. I myself do take a multi-vitamin daily and have since before becoming a vegetarian, as i feel sometimes, on certain days, i may not eat a balanced meal. So the vitamin supplement makes for up for incomplete, lost, or missed nutrients. Vitamin B-12 is one, vegans (those that do not consume dairy), need to be especially mindful of, as it is only found in animal-based protein. On my research for this entry on Vitamin B 12, i found this article that does a good job of explaining the importance and also the consequences of a Vitamin B12 deficiency, the author states that “it would be better for the lactose-ovo-vegetarian to rely on low-fat dairy products for their source of B12. Vegetarians who use a B12 supplement should ensure that it contains an active form of the vitamin-namely, cyanocobalamin or hydrodynamical”. A B12 supplement of five micrograms taken daily is probably adequate. Some suggest that B12 supplements should be thoroughly chewed for better absorption.”
April 20th, 2007 at 15:52
Thanks for the interesting post and link.
As a vegan I make sure I take vitamin B12 as I am never quite sure whether fortified foods provide me with enough.
Apart from that all I take is spirulina which I find better than the multivitamins I took years ago.
May 31st, 2007 at 21:04
Hi Missy, you are missing out on lots of things, by not eating meat, iron and b12 deficiencies are quite common among vegetarians, more so in vegans.
The problem with vegetarian diets is that they tend to be very high in carbs, this inevitably leads to weight gain. If you want more info, check out my latest blog post.
Good Luck!
June 4th, 2007 at 22:50
Hi—Tavi: Thanxs for dropping by and for your comment. I visited your blog and your post and it is quite interesting what you have to say about vegetarianism, but i completely disagree with you and your viewpoints. (surprise!)
Here is a question for you:
How is it that millions of vegetarians from around the world, are healthy, not starving, not nutrient deficient, not anemic, not
alkaline imbalanced and not depriving themselves of anything?
But are quite happy and content to live a life and choose a diet that best benefits them, not to mention countless of animals, and let us not forget the environment.
Yes, some people do need special care and or restrictions in place, because of existing conditions such as diabetes, allergies, and a host of other health situations that require extra due diligence with food, but that applies regardless of their chosen diet.
Thanxs for dropping by my blog and feel free to stop on by again.
Missy.