What supplements do I need to take to be Vegetarian ?!

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As long as you have a healthy, well balanced diet, you don't need any supplements, whether you're veg'n or not. If you're lacking something, no one here could tell you what it is since we don't know what your diet is like. You could be living off of pasta & potato chips, or you could have a well rounded diet full of veggies, fruit, whole grains, legumes, etc. Take a look at what you eat on a regular basis and figure out what you're missing, if anything, and fix the issue with *foods*, not pills.

Don't worry too much. Iron deficiency is rare in healthy men, and studies have shown that vegetarians aren't any more likely than omnivores to develop iron deficiency.

Still, if you're worried about being possibly a little low on certain nutrients, any cheap supermarket vitamin containing iron, zinc, B12 and D is plenty. If you don't eat fish, look for foods containing omega-3s.

That said, vegetarians aren't alone in being possibly a little low on certain nutrients. Meat eaters are possibly a little low on A, C, E, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, and fiber--precisely the same nutrients that you, as a vegetarian, are probably getting plenty of. So don't think of it as having to take a supplement because you're vegetarian. Think of it as matching the right probably-don't-need-it-but-just-in-case supplement to your diet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_defici…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian_…

If you are eating a balanced diet (vegetarian or not) you really don't need supplements.

People just think vegetarians need supplements due to misinformation; we are conditioined to believe people need huge chunks of protien (generally in the form of meat) in order to survive.

Fact is, we need way more protein than most people eat, and you can get more than enough protein from a plant-based diet-- and if you are eating eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt-- believe me you have nothing to worry about.

The only thing hard to get as a veg is b-12, which you can get from some sea veggies, or you can get from a dr. injection because you can't get it so well from pills. But b-12 depends on how your body processes it... some people can eat meat every day and be low in it; some people can go without meat for more than a decade without any supplements and be fine.

Overall, if your diet is balanced, and you're feeling good, don't worry. It's always fine to take a multi-vitamin for anyone, but you're no more in danger of mal-nutrition than any meat eater as long as you have a balanced diet.

I have been a vegetarian for 8 years I think and for the past few months I've been taking lets see magnesium, calcium, regular multivitamin, vitamin d, omega 3 and iron. Yeah I know it's a lot haha but the only thing it can do make me even healthier so I do :) I actually didn't used to take i was getting sick so my mom brought me to teh doctor and my iron was really low so now i eat really healthily plus the pills. I actually don't know what they do but I do feel good! You should research it though because vegetarians dont always need all those vitamins!
But really the most important thing is to eat a wide variety of good foods like vegetables and legumes and tofu and all food groups! I mean you can't supplement real food for pills! Just to be on the safe side though and not get sick I would talk to my doctor and get a blood test. Don't take iron if you are not low because there is no point. Just like don't take calcium if you eat lots of fruit and milk and stuff.

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Pills known as "food". There are many plant sources of the nutrients found in flesh and if you had bothered to do even minimal research before undertaking a significant lifestyle change you would already know which nutrients and which foods that you enjoy and suit your lifestyle and budget to include. Take the time now and you won't have to waste time here in the future.

You shouldn't need any if you are eating lots of legumes, whole grains, and leafy greens, but if you are worried (or life has been hectic and you aren't making much of an effort to eat well), either take a daily multivitamin or grab an enriched cereal to eat for breakfast. Don't do both, or you could overdo it on some nutrients. Not a big deal for the water-based ones, but not a good idea for the fat-soluble kind.

None - I have been a vegetarian for 18 years and the only supplement i have taken was spirulina while i was pregnant. Get a veg food pyramid and eat a balanced diet. You don't need to replace meat as it is an unessecary food source

18 tears veg

There are no nutrients that can only be found in animal products, let alone in meat.

Even if you failed to replace the iron you stopped consuming, that doesn't mean you aren't consuming enough being vegetarian.

Vegetarians dont need to take any supplements, neither do vegans.

None, vitamin supplements don't do anything but waste your money.

As long as you eat a healthy, varied diet you should not need to take any supplements.

iron and vit b supplements any keep up the good work!

I take women's multivitamins. Ever since I started taking them, I feel very good. Take them with foods that have potassium in them. I just usually have them with a small baked potato or banana at night. The vitamins don't have potassium in them, and you need potassium in order to make the iron absorb into your system. Iron can't absorb without potassium. It's always good to look out for which vitamins need what to be absorbed.

Look on the back of some vitamins though, because they could contain gelatin, which would make them non-vegetarian safe. If your a man, you can get the men's version of multivitamins.

Typically, doctors will recommend iron supplements with folic acid, or B12 supplements.
Taking multivitamins also help.

Lots of people say you don't need vitamins, but as a vegetarian it's hard to keep track of what you've had and what you haven't in a day, as opposed to having basic meal structures.
To be safe, take the basics. But take a low dosage iron pill first, then get your blood tested. It's very common for vegetarians to self-diagnose and have too much iron.