I’ve been vegetarian (but with steadily decreasing levels of animal products) for >30 years now. I’ve almost never taken supplements. I did take vitamin D and calcium when I broke a bone in a hiking accident last year, thinking they might be helpful and probably aren’t harmful.
I’m sceptical of a lot of nutrition science, kind of lazy—just looking at the regime in Chi’s comment makes me want to take a nap! - and also suspect that humans can adapt well to a range of diets that contain a lot of whole foods. My partner and I eat a lot of home-grown food, including some eggs from a couple of semi-feral hens we have hanging around, which I think gives me a more balanced diet than many people are able to achieve. I do long-distance running, including some pretty gnarly trails, and I feel like if I’m able to do that, I’m probably doing OK nutrient-wise. Maybe I’m doing this all wrong but it seems to be working so far...
B12 deficiency is common among people who don’t eat meat, eggs, or diary and has some nasty potential results: fatigue, nerve damage, anemia, higher risk of strokes, etc.
Supplementing b12 either through pills or fortified foods seems pretty important for anyone not eating many animal products.
I’ve been vegetarian (but with steadily decreasing levels of animal products) for >30 years now. I’ve almost never taken supplements. I did take vitamin D and calcium when I broke a bone in a hiking accident last year, thinking they might be helpful and probably aren’t harmful.
I’m sceptical of a lot of nutrition science, kind of lazy—just looking at the regime in Chi’s comment makes me want to take a nap! - and also suspect that humans can adapt well to a range of diets that contain a lot of whole foods. My partner and I eat a lot of home-grown food, including some eggs from a couple of semi-feral hens we have hanging around, which I think gives me a more balanced diet than many people are able to achieve.
I do long-distance running, including some pretty gnarly trails, and I feel like if I’m able to do that, I’m probably doing OK nutrient-wise. Maybe I’m doing this all wrong but it seems to be working so far...
B12 deficiency is common among people who don’t eat meat, eggs, or diary and has some nasty potential results: fatigue, nerve damage, anemia, higher risk of strokes, etc.
Supplementing b12 either through pills or fortified foods seems pretty important for anyone not eating many animal products.