Do vegans get by without supplements?

Answer 1

Not well. People can also "live" off not eating fruits or vegetables EVER. It doesn't mean its good for them.

Answer 2

No, anyone who says you NEED to eat things you can't get from a vegan diet has been brainwashed (metaphorically speaking), but the issue of supplements would require some more serious appraisal when the person is pregnant, suffering an illness, or planning some sort of particularly rigorous exercise regime. Pretty much everything other people have mentioned can be found in some sort of vegan food these days anyway.

Answer 3

No. The vegan diet is missing many vitamins, minerals, and protein. It is an honorable choice to make, but you must supplement your diet. Vegans have the added disadvantage of not being able to take certain supplements as the capsules often contain animal fats.

Answer 4

You know, actually most vegans are much healthier than meat eaters. They aren't as likely to be overweight, which means that they don't have the risks for heart disease, strokes, colon cancer etc. They have half the risk of breast cancer than meat eaters and they eat a wider variety of foods. If you are eating a wide variety of foods, then there is no need to supplement. Many do when they get older because your body becomes less efficient as we age, but there are a great number of problems that vegans will never have.

Answer 5

It is more an issue that, in the Western world at least, we eat many times more of various nutrients, vitamins, minerals and the like, than we need.

There are a few things that we can either only get from animal products (for example, vitamin B12), and there are other things that are difficult to get without eating animal products ("first class" protein).

Protein:

The human body needs amino acids, and there are some that it cannot synthesise, but needs to obtain from the environment. These are called "essential" amino acids. A protein that contains all the essential amino acids is called a first-class protein. Meat and dairy products fall into this category. There are also amino acids that the body needs in large quantities, but some required in only small amounts. A protein that contains the "large quantity" amino acids is a second-class protein. Most beans, pulses, are second class proteins.

Therefore, with regard to protein, some animal produce is required, but we tend to eat far more animal produce and we could survive perfectly healthily on many more beans, and much less cheese, milk, meat etc.. I think that there may be plant sources of first-class protein, but I cannot recall any of them.

With regard vitamin B12:

I am not aware of any plant source of this substance. It is, however, stored in the human body in sufficient quantity such that the average human has 5-years reserves of vitamin B12 stored in their liver (so vitamin B12 deficiency takes years to develop). It is, of course, required only in very small quantities.

Many products that we buy in supermarkets are fortified with vitamin B12 (cereals, margarine, sometimes bread). This makes it incredibly easy to eat enough vitamin B12 to survive.

So, chances are, if you are a vegan, you probably feel you are doing well, buying "vegan" foods only. However, there are probably 1 or 2 products where you can't get a "vegan" version so go for the "vegetarian" version. These products probably look about as plant-based as you can get (eg margarine, cereal). However, they are probably fortified with Vitamin B12.

So, to summarise:

No, vegans can't get buy without supplements. The human body needs some animal products, and people who feel they can get buy are probably unwittingly eating a food supplemented with essential nutrients somewhere.

However, we need far less meat, and animal products than we do eat.

PS: For those tempted to go through everything they eat and exclude anything containing vitamin B12 from their diet, please note vitamin B12 is vital for life, as it is an essential ingredient in the synthesis of red blood cells!

Answer 6

The only nutrient that vegans can't get from veg/fruit is vitamin B12. this needs to be supplemented or,in the case of me I eas some fish once in a while

Answer 7

They can get by, it isn't particullarly good for them but they can get by without any adverse effects. Some can't, but some can.

There are things in meat that are important to health though, and just because you know someone who is a veggie who is healthy doesn't mean that a meat eating diet isn't better for you. The proteins you get in plants are different to those you get in meat, and a full spectrum of proteins is needed for the best health.

The effect on children is very bad though, they NEED those proteins for development. Vegan children tend to grow up quite small, sickly and feeble.

Answer 8

A fellow vegan! Congrats; it's a tough deal, but totally worth it. I am repeating to you the advice of my physicians: You absolutely DO need to take some sort of supplements. By cutting out all the things we do (meat, dairy, etc.), we lose quite a bit of nutrients. Absolutely take in extra fruits and veggies (esp. beans and dark greens) and take a multivitamin of your choise in accordance with it's directions. Hope that helps!

Answer 9

No.

Missing from vegan diets are protein, calcium or B12, which they usually get from supplements.

Answer 10

I no of know vegans or even vegetarians who don't need certain supplements to their diet

Answer 11

sure, they don't need supplements. it's a myth that our bodies need animal products (i think the dairy and meat industries created this myth years ago). I know vegans who are perfectly fine and do not need supplements.