SUPPLIMENTs?

Question

I HAVE JUST TURNED VEGI AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT LOOSING THE SUPPLIMENTS MY BODY NEEDS AND GETS FROM MOST MEATS. I WOULD HAVE GONE VEGI A LONG TIME AGO BUT MY FRIEND LOST HER HAIR BECAUSE SHE WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH IRON. SHOULD I BE TAKING SOME SORT OF VITAMIN???

Answer 1

You do not need a mult-vitamin if you are eating a balanced diet. That said, many new vegetarians simply cut out protein and just eat carbs. This is ridiculous. Even children are taught that they need a variety of foods.

Proteins: are in a ton of different foods - only difference is that they are not complete proteins. Combined, they are. Therefore, eat grains, beans, nuts, legumes, etc.

Carbs: try to eat whole grain as much as possible. There are tons of interesting grains to try out. Go to your local health food store.

Vitamins: Vegetarians tend to lack in B-vitamins. Good dietary source is nutritional yeast. I think you can get them from vegemite or marmite too (it's a yeast extract), but you'll have to develop a taste for it - not eveyone is a fan. Make a google search to find out other places to get B vitamins

Iron- Yes, you get iron from meat. You can also get it from leafy green vegetables. Eat LOTS of vegetables of different colours. Spinach is awesome in stir-fry's. So is bok choy. If you cook in a cast-iron pan, you get iron from that too.

If you've decided that you don't like the taste of vegetables, prefer to eat high-sugar carbs like white pasta, and still refuse to eat any meat, then by all means, take a multi-vitamin. In fact, even if you're a carnivore, and still not eating fruits and vegetables, take a multi-vitamin. Generally, they are for people who have medical issues, and those too lazy to eat a balanced diet. It's a waste of money, in my opinion.

Answer 2

Its not going to do you any harm taking some try a good multivitamin.
But depending on what you eat as a vegi you should be OK ,some vegetarians don't eat well just avoid meat but don't eat enough vegetables and fruits my cousin basically just ate chips and looked dread full.
Keep your diet very varied greens have loads of good vitamins and iron.

Answer 3

Hello. Could you please give more information about what kind of vegetarian you have decided to become?

The reason I ask is that there are lots of different styles or types of being vegetarian. For example:

Do you eat eggs?

Do you eat fish?

Do you eat dairy products, milk, cheese, ice cream?

Do you actually eat fresh vegetables and fruits? ( I know that sounds like a strange question, although I have had some mates that decided to go vegetarian, and basically drank tea and ate biscuits and chocolate...)

Do you have any food allergies that you know of?

And just out of curiousity, what is your blood letter type, if you know? ( A +, A - , AB, O, etc. )

I am happy to help give some direction and information if you're interested.

Oh, and about your friend, you have every right to be concerned. It sounds more like she lost her hair due to not enough protein in her diet, as opposed to just a lack of iron.

And to answer your question, no you don't neccessarily need a supplement.

Please see links below.

Best of luck, and keep healthy! :-)

Answer 4

You can get your nutrients if you eat a varity of foods. Are you going to quit eating eggs and cheese too? If so add nuts to your diet. Nuts will add the protein you need and your fresh veggies and fruits should provide the rest. I do take an iron suplement but that's just because I don't eat right. I have been vegitarian since I was five and I'm 37 now

Answer 5

You can take suppliments, the important thing is to have a balanced diet. You need to eat Nuts, Pulses for Protein and Leafy Green vegetables for Iron (Broccoli, Spinach etc).

Answer 6

With a well balanced vegi diet you don't really need supplements. It would have to be a really drastic diet for something to happen like losing your hair.
Everything in moderation. Make sure you eat a variety of foods; fruit, veg, nuts, grains, bread, soya + eggs, cheese, milk - if you eat dairy.

Answer 7

Better you take more soya products along with lot of vegetables and fruits ; cereals and pulses .You van have vitamins and minerals etc., as suppliments if needed. Youcan consult a dietician for further guidence.

Answer 8

If you follow a healthy vegetarian diet, you wouldn't need to take a vitamin, but I take a general multivitamin just in case. It's from GNC and made with an "advanced vegetarian formula".

Answer 9

If you're eating a balanced, varied diet you can do just fine without supplements. But taking a well-formulated multivitamin never hurt anybody. I take Schiff's Vegetarian Multiple; it's formulated specifically for vegetarians and has no animal by-products.

Answer 10

i dont know a lot about full vegetarian diet as i eat fishes which surely gives you Iron, but yes you can try iron in vitamins, but please remember that vtamins from pills aint as good as vitamins from natural food, so just find the right things that you need, as i said i can not adivce you my diet as it includes fish once a week, egs and milk.