Supplements for vegetarians and vegans - do they work?!
I've been vegetarian for 4-5 years now and take 'Seven Seas Multivitamins Plus Minerals for Vegetarians and Vegans' but my question is do they work?
I try to eat as balanced a diet as i can but as it's been so long since i ate meat i don't know if they do me good or not.
Answers: Hello,
I've been vegetarian for 4-5 years now and take 'Seven Seas Multivitamins Plus Minerals for Vegetarians and Vegans' but my question is do they work?
I try to eat as balanced a diet as i can but as it's been so long since i ate meat i don't know if they do me good or not.
Work as far as. . .???
They should supply vitamins and nutrients to your body. If that's "Working", then yes, they work.
They aren't going to magically make a bad diet a good diet or stop you from getting sick, but they certainly will "supplement" a diet by adding things that the FDA and USDA say we need.
Added: B12 can be found in algae. It's generally added to bread and cereals.
With regard to vitamins, if I remember correctly, the only vitamin that you cannot get from vegetables and fruits is B12.
With regards to the 8 essential amino acids, you can get them all from vegetables, but you need a variety because most vegetables only have a few of them.
Normally vitamin supplements don't contain the 8 essential amino acids, just vitamins and minerals.
Now are you a lacto-ova-Vegetarian or a Vegan? Because milk and eggs both contain all 8 essential amino acids.
You'd have to get a check up by a DR. to find out. If you're healthy than everything is working just fine. Supplements are a "just in case" measure. If you're eating garbage like faux meats and processed foods, or too much unfermented soy, the supplements aren't going to make up for those mistakes.
I am very surprise to know that Ur VEGANS since for 5 years............... I say IT WORKS with full of confidence because I know many people who are VEGETARIAN from 15 to 20 years .still they have good health.I wish your health is GOOD for ever......
I guess the question is what are you expecting them to do for you ?
If you have a decent balanced diet what else are you expecting these pills to do for you ?
You don't need to take them
I take a multivitamin with iron each morning and have done for about 20 years. I just see it as an insurance even though I eat raw vegetables every day. I eat eggs, milk and cottage cheese, so I feel my diet is not too bad.
I take Spa Tone Iron supplement everyday to combat my low iron problem.But if you eat a variety of vegetables and Quorn protein etc I'm not sure I am a believer of multi vitamin supplements.
First, dear, if you diet is balanced . . . you wouldn't neeed supplements. As to whether they are working; the only way you an tell is to stop taking them. If they are to work, then the question is whether or not they are absorbable in comparison to "normal" vitamins that your average ominivore would take.
Many vegan/veggie vitamins and supplements promise huge percentages of a daily requirement of a vitamin or mineral. But as to absorbability... that is way below normal parameters to be useful.
"First, dear, if you diet is balanced . . . you wouldn't neeed supplements. As to whether they are working; the only way you an tell is to stop taking them."---what language is this? Drunk.
Let me tell you something dear, you take those multivitamins because for damn sure they don't hurt you. Not everyone can eat a good balanced diet consistently and supplements are a safety net for those times.
Contrary to what Skully says you neeeeeeeed, you need to understand that multivitamins and diet are mostly long term issues. Stopping and starting taking multi-vitamins over the short term won't prove anything.
Speaking of seven seas, let Dr. Skummy tell you a little story. I was working as a dog walker (my crowning achievement) in Boston, USA when a man wearing an eyepatch whistled at me as I walked past the docks. Now let me tell you, years pass between whistles for Dr. Skummy so I tied the wretches to a post and made it completely clear I was ready to climb onto Mr. Eyepatch's dinghy! Long story short, I got to sail the seven seas, all the while swabbing the dicks and handling heavy action in the poop deck. It was a drunken androgynous sailor's dream come true!
But enough about Dr. Skummy. as a vegetarian you should eat MANY fresh vegetables, beans, eggs and stay away from processed foods and faux meats (which are processed foods anyways).