Anemic from vegetarian?!
Answers: What are the chances of getting anemia after becoming a vegetarian? It has been 2.5 weeks..
Well, if it has been 2 and a half weeks, and you are infact anemic, it would not be because you went vegetarian. You dont become anemic in 2 and a half weeks. Further, you are not any more likely to be anemic with a veg diet than you are with a regular diet. What is more likely is that your body is getting used to the dietary change. Sometimes within the first month or so some people will feel a little tired. Almost universally, these symptoms seem to go away as the person gets used to their new diet. It is also likely that your feelings are psychosomatic, that is, people have been telling you that you might get anemia if you go vegetarian, that gets into your head, when you feel tired or lazy you think that it is because of the vegetarianism when really you aren't any different than you were before. Anyway, the moral is, dont panic, and dont let the popular myths get to you. Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of variety and you should be just fine.
I was vegetarian for 5 years and had my blood my checked every year....I was never even close. I made sure that I ate some eggs once in a while. I hardly even thought about it (I know what a balanced diet is).
Now being vegan, I am a little more careful, but again, I'm not obsessive because I have done lots of research regarding diets and supplements and what we need and whats in what.
Find out about protein, how much you need (your weight divided in 3, is what I read on a website, but most people are getting too much anyway) and then find out how much is in the stuff that you eat. then you will always know. Do the same with iron....
Good luck, being a veggie has made me a better person, I wish you the same!
You could become anemic if you do not take in enough iron. If you eat iron rich veggies like spinach and broccoli, and take vitamins then it should never happen. Also many cereals like total and bran flakes are high in iron. Oatmeal is a good source of iron too. I do not eat much red meat at all. I am a very picky eater and have been anemic off an on. If you educated yourself on the symptoms then you should be able to detect it and correct it with a better diet. Do you have cronic fatigue? Do you crave things other than food such as ice chips? Lack of energy is the big thing for me. Just make sure you eat iron rich foods daily or take an iron pill. Slow FE is what I take. It is gentle on my stomach and doesn't cause any problems. Good luck.
Anemia is not more common in veg*ans than in meat eaters. If you get the correct nutrition and eat good then you have noting to worry about! Bottom line deficiencies aren't caused by diet type, but poor nutrition. Iron, vitamin c & vitamin b-12 are all essential vitamins you need to be getting to avoid from getting Anemia, which they are all found in plant foods!
Here is information on vegetarian nutrition:
http://www.vegsoc.org/health/
http://www.vegsource.com/nutrition/pyram...
Sources of these vitamins in a plant based diet:
B12 - (fortified) cereals, soy/rice milks, meat substitutes/soy analogs, some brands of fortified nutritional yeast, tempeh and sea vegetables.
Iron - Spinach, potato, beans (black, lentils, pinto, soy), quinoa, tempeh, peas, nuts (cashews, almonds), watermelon, meat substitutes/soy analogs, broccoli, seaweeds, dried apricots, wholemeal bread, raisins, prunes, dates, seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin), legumes, oatmeal, dark-green leafy veg, cabbage, tofu, pulses, wheat-germ, parsley, millet, blackstrap molasses, tomato juice, soy milk, whole wheat bread, cream of wheat.
Vitamin C - Sprouts, citrus fruits, green vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peas, berries, currants, lettuce, red, green & yellow peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, sprouted alfalfa seeds, parsley, tropical fruits: guavas, mangoes, kiwi fruit, pineapple