Question for vegans about vitamins and pills?

Question

I have been researching for a good vitamin, and can only find ones that are derived from animal sources, and/or packed in gelatin capsules. I find this is true of medicines too. For example, my thyroid med is from pigs glands. I really want to sort this out-my research shows that thiamine, iron, folic acid, etc. are derived from cows and pigs. Vitamin E is wheat derived, but most of the B vitamins are meat based. Any ideas? thanks

when I learned how gelatin is made, I started realizing those gel caps are made from it. Also, do I need supplements? I juice fresh veggies three times a day

will you meat eating bufoons that insist we NEED meat just bugger off please? I asked this in vegan for a reason-go find a recipe for your steaks and stuff, please. I specified I had a question for vegans-if you are not one, then just go away

Answer 1

If you are vegan you need to be taking a daily multivitamin with iron and B-12. There are LOTS of vitamin brands that are 100% vegan, just usually not in vitamin stores. You can find them easily online. I use Deva Vegan Multivitamin & Mineral Supplement and NOW Full Spectrum Minerals, and feel I healthier than anyone I know.

I get my vitamins and many other things (like cruelty-free makeup and vegan shoes) here - http://www.veganessentials.com

Let's set the record straight about vitamin B-12. Yes, vitamin b-12 is only *naturally* obtained from meat and dairy because it comes from a bacteria that grows on those things. But luckily for us, B-12 is easily grown in a lab environment without the use of animal products. This is what is in a vegan multi.

Also, let's set the record straight about something else. The whole vegan issue isn't about whether it's natural for humans to eat meat. It isn't really even about killing animals. Yes, humans evolved by adapting to eat meat. It helped the brain evolve. But that is a sorry excuse to support factory farming in the present day. Most vegan and vegetarians can tell you that death is often the *least* of a factory farm animal's suffering. The industry has become so profit-driven that conditions for animals are generally appalling. Imagine spending your entire life in a box so small that you can't even turn around. Imagine never seeing daylight or smelling fresh air. This is the reality of meat and dairy animals today. Small, caring family farms are being driven out of business by behemoth "feedlots" where animals are truly abused. THIS is why we don't eat animal products. At one point in history, animal products made sense. That time has past.

Did you know that many of us once loved meat, and loved cheese and eggs? It's not that we all didn't like eating those things, it's that we all realized our conscience had to come before our tastebuds.

I personally don't believe it is inherently wrong to eat meat or animal products. It's the way in which they are obtained these days that is entirely *unnatural*. In present day America, if you purchase meat or eggs & dairy at a grocery store or restaurant, you are saying "I SUPPORT ANIMAL ABUSE! I SUPPORT IT SO STRONGLY THAT I WILL DONATE MONEY TO THOSE WHO PERFORM THIS ABUSE ON MY BEHALF!" We vegans have simply decided to to stop supporting animal abuse altogether.

Educate yourself, watch Meet Your Meat - http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DCYQvDwEhHcw

Answer 2

Yes, absolutely we take vitamins because of the vast amounts of different nutrients that we are lacking and denied due to our dietary choices. Beware though when taking the multivitamins though and ensure that it is a strictly vegan dietary supplement. A great amount of multivitamins that I have personally encountered have had vitamins and nutrients derived from animals or shellfish. So if you don't eat shellfish or shellfish derivatives then just do a quick overview of the ingredients which are contained in the multivitamins before taking them. A big one for me is iron, I was tested and given an iron supplement by my doctor. Vitamin D was another that I was lacking. Everyone is different and you may not need all the vitamins, so you should definitely check with you doctor to find out if there are any deficiencies. Good Luck!

Answer 3

but you can get iron, folic acid and other vitamins straight from a food source. and as far as your thyroid med, that really sucks, is there an alternative to the medicine?
All I know is that I've been a vegetarian since I was 12, I'm now 22 and I'm totally healthy as far as I know. I don't regularly take vitamins...but I was only vegan for 6 mos. so maybe you do need supplements. I don't know, good luck.

Answer 4

vitamins are important however they are a little glamorized. A lot of the ingredients in vitamins now a days are not from animal sources but are totally synthetic/man made. They are cheaper to be man made then by animal products usually, however synthetic vitamins are lso not absorbed as well as naturally occuring vitamins so make surre your diet is healthy first.
It will be better for you to get most of your vitamins from fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, and brewers yeast if you can.

Ex: Taurine, which is found in a lot of energy drinks now, was originally derived from bulls (hence the taurus in the name) however is now totally man made.
some things are derrived from animals but not from meat, such as vitamin D, which is most commony derived from lanolin from sheeps wool.

Finding vegetarian suitable vitamins are pretty easy to do, go to GNC, your local health food store, or your local co-op and ask someone there to show you some vitamins suitable for vegetarians, these will have only vitamins derived from plant or non-meat sources like mentioned above, and will contain no geletain.

Finding vegan vitamins will be a lot harder and will take a lot of searching.

I personally take:
GNC Multi
Ultra Mega
Advanced vegetarian formula

And my son takes:
Natures Plus
Animal Parade
Chewable vegetarinan Multi-Vitamins

As for perscription medication, this you may have to do some research for. First research all the available medicines for your praticular problem, usually there is more then one choice and if the other is not animal derived talk to your doctor about switching. If this is not an option try reasearching alternative medicine, or natural treatments. These will msot likely not cure your problem but will help reduce symportoms/severity and you may be able to reduce your dose of your current medication. Be sure to check with your doctor though.

Answer 5

I use vitamins by a company called
Nature's Way ( Alive).
They are called whole food energizer.
They have absolutely everything you
need. You can find this at a Wholefoods
or Earth fare or by googling on line.
As for the pigs blood in the thyroid
medicine ,you might try going to the
PCRM sight ( physicians for responsible
medicine) and search for a way to contact
the group via email. Ask if there is a [plant
based alternative to the medication that
you are being prescribed by your regular doctor.

Answer 6

Try Women's One a Day. I think they are just the chalky kind with out the gelcap. Also, be careful when taking the vitamin. I have been a vegetarian (rather strict) for over 12 years and my iron is very low. When I take vitamins they make me kind of sick. If this happens, take only half at a time.

Answer 7

Silk soymilk has vitamin b 12 + plenty of other vitamins derived from plant sources

Answer 8

Human need meat for nutrition, we are not able to produce B vitamins and they can only be obtained from meat. Your thyroid medicine has to come from an animal since it can't be made by your body, another body needs to make it. Most medicines contain milk, eggs, gelatin and other meat products as necessary components. There is little you can do. If you don't take these vitamins your body will not be able to function properly. You need B vitamins for a lot of things, and that thyroid medicine keeps you from some serious complications that can lead to pain, disease and even death. It is impossible for humans to live their lives without consuming meat products of any kind without losing their health.
As humans evolved and developed, our consumption of meat especially fats from animal allowed our brains to develop. The muscles tissue we consume allows our muscles to develop and function properly and we are unable even to digest food properly and regulate body cycles like hunger without the B vitamins. You can talk to your doctor but I warn you, there may be little he/she can do for you.
Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 9

well i take natures made which is completely meat free and they are great i take them for iron and vitamin e and b

Answer 10

Solgar and Flora are very vegetarian friendly companies.