How is vegetariansim healthy if you're missing out on important B vitamins?

Question

And other nutrients.

All of the meat I eat is well cared for and organic.

Answer 1

Most vegetarians or vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage. Infact most people who suffer from B12 deficiencies and/or pernicious anemia are NOT vegetarians or vegans. It's really not difficult for a vegetarians or vegans to get the B12 they need if your worried.

You can take a B12 supplement.

or

You can eat B12 fortified foods two or three times a day.

There are alot more people out there that aren't vegetarians or vegans that are not geting the vitamins and minerals they need. They are the ones I worry about.


"All of the Vitamin B12 in the world ultimately comes from bacteria. Neither plants nor animals can synthesize it. But plants can be contaminated with B12 when they come in contact with soil bacteria that produce it. Animal foods are rich in B12 only because animals eat foods that are contaminated with it or because bacteria living in an animal's intestines make it."
-- From The Vegetarian Way: Total Health for You and Your Family (1996), Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, & Mark Messina, PhD p. 102

Answer 2

Its good that the meat you consume is well cared for. Thats important. I am not missing out on a thing. I get all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that I need with fresh juices and vegetables. B vitamins are readily available in leafy greens. I juice carrots, celery, parsley, apple, and some type of leafy green such as swiss chard, kale, spinach, or other greens, twice a day. I feel great! I developed an allergy to meat protein, and was basically forced to give it up, but after researching the matter, I am glad that happened. I do not miss meat at all. I don't think the human body is well equiped to digest a protein so similar to its own. If I were to eat meat, I would make a choice such as yours, but no longer want to.

Answer 3

Such as? B12 can be gotten from a Vegan diet, however our modern obsession with cleanliness makes it so Vegan sources are unreliable. An unsupplemented Vegan diet is perfectly healthy with some planing.Some people take supplements because they don't have the time to make sure they are eating right. It's not the best option to be sure, but then many meat eaters diets are severely lacking as well.

P.S.

"All of the meat I eat is well cared for and organic."

BS.

Answer 4

It's healthIER because most meats people eat come from factory farms where animals are fed hormones and antibiotics (massive amounts), and they live in their own filth and many are animals are fed animal by-product because it's cheap. You may be missing out on some vitamins and nutrients that meat provide, but think of all the gross chemicals your not putting into your body. Unless you're an idiot... you can supplement your diet accordingly.


Meat with an "Organic" stamped on it means NOTHING. There are still hardly any laws or FDA regulations on what products can say they are organic. Unless your meat came from a local farm, you're getting junk.

Answer 5

For individuals following a diet free of all animal products, vitamin B12 needs can easily be met by consuming a variety of vegan foods. Fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soymilk, and fortified meat analogues contain a reliable source of the vitamin. Nutritional yeast, such as Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula, is also a reliable source. Most common multivitamins, from Flintstones to One-A-Day to Stress Tabs, also contain B12.

Answer 6

I get my vitamin b from hemp
and brown rice protein shakes
enhanced with b, methionine,
and amino acids, mushrooms,
whole grains, and red-star nutritional
yeast.

No animal having had its throat slit
qualifies as having been well-cared
for. That's worse than a master whipping
his slave and then giving him lemonade.

Answer 7

I think vegetarianism can be healthy if you're careful to get plenty of beans, and you eat eggs and dairy products.

One thing is for sure - better to eat lots of veggies than lots of meat.

Answer 8

How exactly do you know if I am missing out on anything? What nutrients exactly am I missing?

Answer 9

Many vegetarians also take a lot of vitamins and supplements to make up for it. They tend to be healthier because they're not consuming as many hormones and chemicals used to process the meat.

Answer 10

I recommend reading about this diet.You can get all that you need in other foods.Also take a multi vitamin.http://meat.org