-
Re: Vegan Vitamin Needs
Quote:
Seaside
:confused: To me these are one and the same.
I'm only saying that vegan food doesn't have to be varied, balanced and healthy: there's a lot of processed, semi-synthetic, over-sweetened food out there that doesn't contain much nutrients: it's not fresh, not organic etc... one may eat white pasta with canned tomato sauce every day and still be a vegan!
-
Re: Vegan Vitamin Needs
Hi Korn, yes I did used to take B12 supplement, and once took multivitamins, but then, after a careful reading of The China Study, I decided to stop supplements - though I know that the good doctor did suggest B12 could be beneficial not only to vegans but to omnivores. I get my blood tested for various things each year, and so far suffer no deficiencies. j&k asks where I get B12 from - don't our bodies manufacture it for us? I must say that friends of mine, in my age group, ie late 70s, are all meat eaters and some of them suffer B12 deficiency, some have osteoporosis, all have diabetes #2, and many other conditions for which they take medications. And they all look years older than me. I sincerely believe that the vegan lifestyle is conducive to good health, and although I was diagnosed with diabetes #2 (in my genes), it is perfectly under control and no medications necessary.
-
Re: Vegan Vitamin Needs
Quote:
eve
j&k asks where I get B12 from - don't our bodies manufacture it for us?
That's what I've read. As long as people haven't destroyed the beneficial bacteria that do this for them by taking antibiotics or doing other harmful things that kill them.
-
Re: Vegan Vitamin Needs
I've just made a new thread about it here:
Does a healthy body manufacture B12?
-
Nutritional supplements for vegans?
Can anyone out there recommend any type of nutritional supplement that is an all-in-one formula?
Thanks, rod
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for Vegans
In my kitchen I have a container of Naturade brand Total Soy Meal Replacement (French Vanilla). 150 calories of this powder provides 13g protein and 35% of "Daily Value" needs (no longer "RDA"?) of vitamin B12 (the only vitamin I actively seek out) as well as many other vitamins I feel I get plenty of anyway in my vegan diet. The soy milk I mix it with adds even more protein, etc. The ingredients are long but end in "no egg, dairy, or animal derivatives". I didn't buy it from this site, and know nothing about them, but here is a detailed description:http://www.luckyvitamin.com/079911023064.html#
I bought it in a store that I can't recall. It tastes pretty good.
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for Vegans
rodt and mahk - do you ever think of eating vegies, fruit, and nuts? To me they comprise the best nutrition around. :)
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for Vegans
eve, I don't live on this stuff. My diet is 95% whole foods like the ones you mention. These "meal replacement" foods are good because they are quick and easy to prepare, yet nutrtionally sound (at least if taken only on occasion). My current belief is that an adequate vitamin B12 intake from a purely non-fortified vegan diet is nearly impossible. Do you disagree?:confused:
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for Vegans
"Mahk" I looked up that supplement and can't seem to find a nutrional information chart for it. Do you have any idea where I could find one?
And I too take supplements on occassion, mostly when I know I'm going to be missing a meal for whatever reason ("eating" out with friends, travelling for long period of time, etc.)
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for Vegans
Bic, Here ya go (just scroll down a little and you'll see it):
http://www.vitacost.com/NaturadeTota...-FrenchVanilla
[Again, for info only, I know nothing about this vendor, in fact they seem to not have it in stock, or that flavor is no longer made?]
Naturade's own, less detailed website is:
http://www.naturade.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=20
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for vegans?
Thanks. :) That's quite a list of nutrients it has. I think I'll get some to replace the supplement I currently use.
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for Vegans
Quote:
"Mahk"
My current belief is that an adequate vitamin B12 intake from a purely non-fortified vegan diet is nearly impossible. Do you disagree?:confused:
The problem doesn't seem to be the vegan diet as such, but our (personal and global) lifestyle, but since we have many threads and several subforums about B12 already, I won't go any further than saying that I disagree (for a change)... :)
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for vegans?
Korn, by "lifestyle" do you mean washing our vegetables?
Also, at the store the other day I saw the largest assortment of nori and other sea vegetables that I have ever seen: 6. I read the nutritional facts on the back of each one and was surprised that one claimed 12 % B12 (daily value)! I can't find it now, but I remember that some other forum member says sea vegetables are a no-no for vegans because of some animal life (shrimp?) that get caught in the netting process.:confused: At least I think that was the concern, I'm not sure.
-
Re: Nutritional supplements for vegans?
Quote:
Korn, by "lifestyle" do you mean washing our vegetables?
I mean all the things humans do today that will affect B12 availability and absorption. Take a look in the B12 sections - you could eg. start here: 50 ways to develop B 12 deficiency, but there are many other threads about this topic too.
-
What supplements do YOU take?
Im just curious, i dont take any, but am thinking that maybe i should?
any ideas?
-
Re: What supplements do YOU take?
Around the time that I donate blood (for about a week before), I take a liquid iron supplement.
Other than that, I only take vitamin C and liquid ecinacea when I feel like I'm getting sick.
Oh and it's no secret that I've been having trouble sleeping lately, so I've done some research and yesterday I went out and bought some Valerian.
-
Re: What supplements do YOU take?
I take the Vegan Society's supplement, or another B12 supplement, every day or so. And a tsp of flax oil or hemp oil most days.
-
Re: What supplements do YOU take?
*ahem* here's the list :o :
Mega-Dose B vits with vitamin C (for anxiety/stress)
Chromium (to balance blood sugar level)
Kelp (not every day but enough to ensure i'm getting my iodine)
Agnus Castus (for balancing hormones - may stop using this now as am back on the Pill :rolleyes: )
Omega Oils (various, sometimes Udos, sometimes flax oil, at the moment capsules from veganstore)
Luffa for Hayfever
and
Child Essence when I feel like a sad child :o
Rescue Remedy as and when needed
Echinacea when I feel susceptible to illness
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? What do you take?
I take a daily (vegan) multivitamin, and a B-12 sublingual tab a few times a week. I also use flax oil as a salad dressing, for the omega-6. People keep asking me if, as a vegan, I need to take a lot of vitamins. Isn't that rather strange, considering most if not all vitamins are found in plant foods?:confused:
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? What do you take?
^ totally agree, i don't think any vegan eating a *healthy, well-balanced diet* necessarily needs any supplements, but some people, vegan or otherwise, have a problem utilising/making enough/storing vitamins/minerals, and some of course have illnesses which could affect their bodies stores.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? What do you take?
Of course, but that's not because they are vegan! There's also the issue of modern food processing stripping away naturally occurring nutrients, which is another problem entirely... it's just a funny thing, most people don't seem to realize that there's really not much good nutrition in meat and dairy.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
^ no, that's my point Chanterelle, if anything vegans quite possibly need less in the way of supplements but are more health-aware so paradoxically maybe more inclined to take them.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
...and the person who lives on diet soda and cheeseburgers can't be bothered to take any supplements at all! The world is upside down!:(
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
For years I refused to take supplements as I didn't want to admit that a vegan diet can be anything less than perfectly adequate. However I now admit that my diet isn't always perfect :o I feel loads better since I started taking supplements. I take iron, E400, agnus castus, Co Q10 and St Johns wort. I think theres a few more I ought to get as well.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
Every Friday I take a vitamin B12 tablet and 2 kelp tablets just in case I didn't get enough during the week.
I also take a multivitamin with iron if I'm feeling a bit run down like the other day when I noticed white flecks on my fingernails.
My diet isn't always that good so I take some supplements. But I think my diet was horrendous before I turned vegan so I feel much more nutritionally aware now.
I think vegans will tend to be much more nutritionally aware than meateaters because people are always asking us stupid questions about protein/ iron etc.
CW - do you rattle when you walk with all those tablets?:D
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
For a few years, I stopped all my supplements--mainly because all my money was going into treating my ailing dog--and just recently started with a full array of nutrient supplements again. I don't know if it makes me healthier, but I was scared into starting the calcium/magnesium again, and I had been taking an iron supplement even when I stopped everything else.
My current dog does even better than I do: he gets a multi, plus chlorella and flaxseed oil at every meal. He's incredibly healthy-looking; now if I can just start brushing his teeth!
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
I take the vegan society tablets too -- when I remember.
My diet is a lot healthier than it was and I did read stephen walsh's plant based nutrition from cover to cover, and the vegan society's supplement is based on his findings.
I def need vitamin d though - cos it looks like were not going to have a summer here this year, lol
nicola
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
I haven't taken any supplements, actually I lie, I have some iron rarely and that's at that time of the month. Maybe I should start.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
Quote:
Chanterelle
...and the person who lives on diet soda and cheeseburgers can't be bothered to take any supplements at all! The world is upside down!:(
Ever notice how most people who drink diet soda are fat?
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
Quote:
frank language
Ever notice how most people who drink diet soda are fat?
thats a chicken and egg thing isnt it:confused:
nicola
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
I take a vitamin-B complex and vitamin C. I am considering getting a multivitamin tablet, but it is not easy to find them here in the east of the Netherlands. I have always taken multivitamins, even before I was a vegetarian. I try to eat enough fruit and vegetables, whole wheat bread, tahini, nuts and seeds, tofu, etc, but especially on days on which I do not have to work I tend to miss out on the fruit. I have never taken supplements instead of trying to eat healthy (as healthy as omni eating can be), but really as supplements. Now that I am vegan I try to use fortified foods as abundant as I can afford. Here in the Netherlands there are two brands that I know of have supplements suitable for vegans. I am not sure whether the B complex I am taking right now is suitable for vegans, as it is a store brand, but I will use it until the jar is empty.
Mirjam
-
Re: Avoiding supplements with special worry for b12
What about vitamin A and Iodine? They are essential and you probably get enough vitamin A but it's important to ensure that you don't get too much vitamin A right?
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
I am a fairly new vegan and am concerned about the issue of getting enough B12. I have read that a sublingual supplement is a good way to go, maybe because of easier absorption? does anyone take this form?
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
I took the vegan society multi-vit. every day for a year and a half and after my blood tests came back my GP advised me to stop taking them. If you make sure that you get B12 in fortified foods and eat well then you should be fine.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
Quote:
pudding06
thats a chicken and egg thing isnt it:confused:
nicola
haha...i think that is because most of the time those people are also eating a big mac and fries with it and think that the "diet" soda will negate the ridiculous amount of fats in the food. also, i tend to think that the chemicals and preservatives in all of those foods, not to mention in anything "diet", can wind up having an adverse effect when they are eaten in excess.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
Quote:
Chanterelle
...and the person who lives on diet soda and cheeseburgers can't be bothered to take any supplements at all! The world is upside down!:(
yes, and the most ridiculous part about it is that those are the same people that think WE are going to be unhealthy and are odd for choosing to be vegan. once again...upside down for sure! :rolleyes:
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
What cracks me up is all the people who ask us how we get our protein, but no one asks an omni-pizza-muncher how they get their Vitamin C!
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
lol, that is so true !
i don't think you necessarily need to take supplements, but if you do, just take them.
i was for a while taking iron supplements. now i've stopped them but to make sure i don't need to take them again i take some spirulina (which gives me also the B12 i need and other vitamins), along with evening primerose and borrachio oils, those two helping me regulate my hormones.
i also take magnesium and vitamin C tablets because i'm between exams now and need some "boost".
-
Re: Avoiding supplements with special worry for b12
Quote:
littles
They are essential and you probably get enough vitamin A but it's important to ensure that you don't get too much vitamin A right?
Vegans do not need to worry about getting too much vitamin A because only the pre-formed version found in and derived from animal products is toxic.
-
Re: Do vegans need supplements? Do you take any?
Quote:
Aurore
lol, that is so true !
i don't think you necessarily need to take supplements, but if you do, just take them.
i was for a while taking iron supplements. now i've stopped them but to make sure i don't need to take them again i take some spirulina (which gives me also the B12 i need and other vitamins), along with evening primerose and borrachio oils, those two helping me regulate my hormones.
i also take magnesium and vitamin C tablets because i'm between exams now and need some "boost".
in what form do you get the spirulina? i have been snacking a little bit on these carob spirulina energy chunks. they also have sesame, pumpkin, and flax seeds..very yummy!! but i dont want to rely on that as my only source because i am also very conscious of my weight and too much of any snack may just put on the lbs. also, do you know how much spirulina i would need to have in order to not need a B12 supp? thanks!