Why do vegetarians/vegans take supplements?

Question

I'm a vegan, have been for 3 months, and a vegetarian for 9 months before that and I've never taken a supplement, but I'm still healthy.

I'm just wondering why some vegans and vegetarians think they need to take supplements?

Answer 1

....it's cuz ur body also needs iron and protein.....all the vegetables in the world don't contain what meat has.....but there are also other ways to get....  Tofu contain rich protein.....from SoyBeans..

Answer 2

No idea, i've been veggie for 28 years and never needed any supplements.

There is a lot of mis-information in the world today and people are too ready to act on others advice rather than make up thier own minds.

but the same could be said of meat-eaters too. The vast majority of vitamin pills are aimed at meat-eaters. Just look at the aisle in the supermarket. All those pills cannot be aimed at veggies when we make up such a small % of the population.

Answer 3

Not every vegetarian has that type of body that can break down and use the Vitamins, Minerals, etc. found in fruit. Since they wont eat meat (which is the remaining source), they have to take supplements.

Answer 4

If you are vegetarian, you still drink milk and eat egg, you will be able to get vitamin B12 from egg and milk.

But if you are vegan, that means you don't eat egg and drink milk and no daily product. You need to take B12 enriched foods or B12 supplement.

Answer 5

because some of the iron, protein minerals etc your body needs to function properly vegetarians & vegans don't get because the don't eat animal products.

Answer 6

I have no idea. haha

I don't take any

I threw a fit the other day when my mom wanted me to take a vitamin!

haha =)

Answer 7

I don't take supplements but probably should. This has been the case for my whole life. Supplements are just that- supplements. It's a way to help make sure you're getting everything you need.  

Answer 8

For me personally, I have always taken a supplement when veg or not, especially when pregnant and breastfeeding. But I wholly believe that so many nutrients are missing from our food supplies due to mono planting, over all the horrible farming practices that rape the soil of nutrients! While doing local/ sustainable/ organic is best, the nutrient value still isn't what it was hundreds of years ago before we mass produced both people and then food to feed those people that no longer farmed for themselves, and so on!

Answer 9

Same reason the rest of the population takes supplements: sometimes our diets are less than perfect.

As a vegan, you do not have a reliable source of B12 in your diet.  You *must* either see to your needs with fortified foods or supplemental B12.  You likely have a large store of B12 from your years as a meat eater, but you don't want to find out what the limits of that store are.  B12 deficiency is serious.

Answer 10

Same reason all of those guys in the guy are popping vitamins -- propaganda.  That is all.  They buy into all of this "you're better to be safe than sorry" and bla bla bla... and even vegans are lazy too... just pop some pills and forget all of your troubles.  Everyone is lazy -- it's part of being the majority -- nobody wants to lift a finger if they do not have to, and that includes vegans and vegetarians -- who wants to do research or use common sense when there are advertisements that will tell you what to do etc.

Answer 11

The same question could be asked of meat eaters. People take supplements as an insurance policy.

Answer 12

There are no non-animal sources of B12.  Vegans either have to eat foods that are fortified with it or take a supplement.

I do both, but I have to take a prenatal vitamin for my baby.