Vegan without vitamins?

Question

I have chosen to be vegan three years ago. I drink orange juice that has vitamin c and I eat allot of beans soy based products and the like. I used to take a multivitamin but haven't done so in about a year and a half and I was taking b-12 pills for a time...Is my health at risk? I don't feel sick or weak really. I have noticed my back is getting out of wack ever since I did a back bend and tried to flip myself over showing off for my lil bro who dared me saying he didn't think I could do it anymore...I get calcium and the like, but how much do i really need...I got a scare because my friend (not a veg person) got kidney stones due to to much calcium build up in her body...Advice?

Answer 1

These people are making this way too complicated. Yes you should take a supplement. Mainly for B-12 and Protein. The one that I found that works best for me and has the highest content of both is called Klamath Blue Green Algae. It worked great for me and I noticed an immediate difference in the way I felt and mainly my energy levels. Heres a link..  Many Blessings..

Answer 2

Vegan for 5+ years and no, I've never taken vitamins. If you are eating a balanced diet, there is no need to supplement your intake.

Have you visited the doctor lately? Are you in good health?

Just think of all the people who ARE NOT vegan and in poor health ... proper diet is key.

Here's a great breakdown

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:7RS...

Answer 3

Kidney stones are not fun. Your friend is probably dehydrated. Water is so essential for good health and good clean water is hard to find now. There are 200 different chemicals found in tap water including but not limited to PCB's. Teflon, Mercury, and Pharmaceuticals in measurable  amounts. The best source is RO (Reverse Osmosis) water. And the thing is that you need to divide your body weight in half to determine the ounces of water you need to drink each day. So if you are 120 pounds you need to drink 60 ounces of water each day; spaced out over the day. To prevent spending the day running to the bathroom drink 16 to 20 ounces of it first thing in the morning; and then space the rest of it out over the day in hour and a half intervals. The reason you need to drink the initial amount of water is that water is absorbed through hydrated tissue not through dehydrated tissue. If for example you try to wipe up a spill of water on a counter with a dry sponge you will find that it streaks. A damp sponge will pick it all up quickly and easily. Make sense?

To prevent kidney stones drink the water you need daily. If you have stones developing you can add some fresh lemon juice to some of the water to help dissolve them. Do not sweeten the water however. If you do then the body treats it differently. So no sugar, just fresh lemon juice.

As for the vitamin issue, if you are eating widely of the fruit and vegetables available -- 5 a Day  and eating with an eye to a variety of colors -- Vitamins are not the issue that minerals are when food comes from our mineral depleted soils. A good multi is a good idea if it has sufficient mineral content; and if it is natural and organic, and not synthetic. Synthetics are a total waste of money as they simply pass through the body without doing it any good whatsoever.

Injury cannot be prevented by good diet and nutrition. However, when we insult the integrity of the bones and muscles by athletics or accident, good nutrition can aid in healing.

If your back is going into spasm you would probably benefit by seeing a good chiropractor and/or acupuncturist. Good Luck to you and I hope you feel better soon.

Answer 4

A well balanced, well thought out diet does not require supplements whether omni, vegetarian or vegan. That's why when asked, I always tell people to do some personal research on their own unique nutritional requirements.  If this takes a visit to the doc or nutritionist then so be it. For adults, this should be almost automatic.

That's also the reason why I don't tell kids or minors what to eat especially if this would have health or medical consequences if done incorrectly. Armchair medical advice  is not reliable and can be harmful. (also a clear violation of Yahoo guidelines)

If you are a minor, you are better off discussing this with your parents. If you are an adult, a quick trip to your personal physician and/or nutritionist is what you need.to do.these people are far better equipped to answers your questions and better qualified to give you a nutrition plan to follow for your health.

Answer 5

HI!

I'm vegan, and the only supplement I take is a 1200 mcg B12 tablet once weekly.

If you're eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and grains, then there's no need to worry yourself about vitamins and pills.

Answer 6

Hey.

Here is some information about the following B12, calcium, essential fatty acids, iodine, iron, protein etc.

B12

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimise potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following:

Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (µg or mcg) of B12 a day.

Take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms.

Take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

More information here - http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutriti...

Calcium

Calcium is a major mineral essential for healthy bones and teeth. There are several minerals known to be essential to the human body and which must be obtained from food. The major minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride and potassium) are needed in the greatest quantities or are present in large amounts in the body. The three main functions of minerals are as constituents of the skeleton, as soluble salts which help control the composition of the body fluids, and as essential adjuncts to the action of many enzymes and other proteins.

Vegan Sources of Calcium

Good plant sources of calcium include tofu (if prepared using calcium sulphate contains more than four times the calcium of whole cow's milk), green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts. The calcium in green vegetables which are not high in oxalate e.g. kale, is absorbed as well or better than the calcium from cow's milk. Some soya milks e.g. Provamel, Plamil, Granovita are fortified with calcium. Drinking hard water can provide 200mg of calcium daily but soft water contains almost none. Other calcium rich foods include black molasses, edible seaweeds, watercress, parsley and dried figs.

Examples of amounts of foods providing 100mg calcium

Type of Food  

Black molasses 20g

Dried figs 40g

Almonds 42g

Soya flour 44g

Parsley 50g

Kale 67g

Brazils Nuts 59g

Wholemeal bread 185g

Vegan Sources of Protein

The foods which commonly supply the most protein in a vegan diet are pulses (peas, beans, lentils, soya products), grains (wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, millet, pasta, bread), nuts (brazils, hazels, almonds, cashews) and seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame).

Examples of amounts of foods providing 10g of protein

Type of food Quantity providing 10g protein (g)

Soya flour 24

Peanuts 39

Pumpkin seeds 41

Almonds 47

Brazil Nuts 50

Sunflower seeds 51

Sesame seeds 55

Hazel Nuts 71

Wholemeal bread 95

Whole lentils dried & boiled 114

Chickpeas dried & boiled 119

Kidney beans dried & boiled 119

Wholemeal spaghetti boiled 213

Brown rice boiled 385

If you want more information about all this, and geting a full healthy balenced diet, with all the essential protein, vitamins, etc. The link i have provided should help you, it gives alot of information about what you need and how much you need of it, and loads more, here it is - http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutriti...

Hope this helps you and good luck!