If you have to take supplements isn't this proof that your diet is inadequate and flawed?

What I do:

Omega 3 - a few walnuts on my oatmeal, ground flax seeds used in baking

Iron - beans

B12 - supplement or fortified soymilk

Vitamin D - sunshine or fortified soymilk

 

Some other thoughts about what vegans might want to do:

Omega 3 - http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/omega3

Iron - http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/iron

B12 - http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

Vitamin D - http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/bones

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by whole wheat 
 

If you have to take supplements isn't this proof that your diet is inadequate and flawed?

No. 

List of reasons someone may want/need to take supplements yet have a fantastic diet:

- They have a problem with absorption. Some genetic conditions cause this. Also, previous damage or surgery might cause this. (Sickle Cell, cancer, ulcers, Crohn's disease, gastric bypass, alcoholism, celiac, etc can all cause someone to have troubles with absorption. They can eat a perfect diet but their bodies simply may not absorb the nutrients they need.) 

- They live in a climate/ live a lifestyle where they can't get vitamin D from the sun on a regular basis. (Example, a person with dark skin who lives in the north and doesn't work outdoors is probably not going to get enough vitamin D from the sun.)

- They choose a compassionate diet that's healthy but doesn't consistently supply B12 because of current farming and hygiene standards. (B12 is made by a bacteria in the guts of many animals - including humans - and is often in soil. But since we are not cavemen anymore and we wash our food because now there's a lot of dangerous bacteria in soil, we can't obtain B12 by eating dirt. Don't try it! Also, some have speculated that plants might be able to have B12 absorbed from the soil but that current farming methods have eliminated that possibility. Future science may overcome this.)

Whooooooa, this dead post got resurrected.

As an update, it's been about 2 years and 8 months as a vegan (+17 years as a vegetarian) and I'm perfectly healthy. I have amazing energy, I'm rarely sick, I'm involved in a pretty intense strength-based physical activity, and I have no cognitive problems. I take a general multivitamin and eat a lot of nuts, seeds, and beans. I don't specifically supplement DHA or any obscure amino acids.

Quote:

Originally Posted by luxdancer 
 

Whooooooa, this dead post got resurrected.

 

As an update, it's been about 2 years and 8 months as a vegan (+17 years as a vegetarian) and I'm perfectly healthy. I have amazing energy, I'm rarely sick, I'm involved in a pretty intense strength-based physical activity, and I have no cognitive problems. I take a general multivitamin and eat a lot of nuts, seeds, and beans. I don't specifically supplement DHA or any obscure amino acids.

Hi luxdancer. Amazing how long dead threads keep coming back, I bet you never expected that. My congratulations on your good health and long may it continue. 

Leedsveg

Quote:

Originally Posted by leedsveg 
 

Hi luxdancer. Amazing how long dead threads keep coming back, I bet you never expected that. My congratulations on your good health and long may it continue. 

 

Leedsveg

Thanks Leeds!

Quote:

Originally Posted by luxdancer 
 

Whooooooa, this dead post got resurrected.

 

As an update, it's been about 2 years and 8 months as a vegan (+17 years as a vegetarian) and I'm perfectly healthy. I have amazing energy, I'm rarely sick, I'm involved in a pretty intense strength-based physical activity, and I have no cognitive problems. I take a general multivitamin and eat a lot of nuts, seeds, and beans. I don't specifically supplement DHA or any obscure amino acids.

We've been vegan for about the same length of time (I am assuming you went vegan in February 2011?).   Good to hear that you are still amazingly healthy!

I have heard this argument from omnivores in the past.  The irony is that most vitamin and other supplements sold on the market are not vegan or even vegetarian due to all of the inactive ingredients in them such as gelatin and other animal derivatives.  A lot of omnivores take vitamin D because of lack of sunlight at certain times of the year in a northern hemisphere or lifestyle (not getting outside enough) etc.  My omnivore husband has to take B12 due to absorption problems and  a type of anemia he has.  Also, my hemoglobin numbers are far healthier than his are, as are my D levels in the summer without supplementing.

I also consider a diet that requires forcibly impregnating animals, drinking the milk of another species, and breeding and keeping animals for food which requires a lot of land and resources flawed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by luxdancer 
 

Whooooooa, this dead post got resurrected.

 

As an update, it's been about 2 years and 8 months as a vegan (+17 years as a vegetarian) and I'm perfectly healthy. I have amazing energy, I'm rarely sick, I'm involved in a pretty intense strength-based physical activity, and I have no cognitive problems. I take a general multivitamin and eat a lot of nuts, seeds, and beans. I don't specifically supplement DHA or any obscure amino acids.

I'm hoping that you also eventually discovered that those who wrongly state that DHA, carnosine, or carnitine are essential nutrients can almost always be linked to the meat industry or meat-centric diet advocacy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unethicalvegan 
 

 

I'm hoping that you also eventually discovered that those who wrongly state that DHA, carnosine, or carnitine are essential nutrients can almost always be linked to the meat industry or meat-centric diet advocacy.

 

 

I never thought that they were essential nutrients, in that they form the backbone of a complete protein, but that they are used by the body and the lack or long-term deficiency might impact my health in some way or may improve my health with increased intake (especially for athletic endeavors). Considering, at the time, I had been lacto-ovo, I was especially concerned with absorption issues that I would otherwise never have considered - there are vegans who have not thrived until they started taking carnitine supplements (derived synthetically), probably due to problems with protein synthesis in their bodies. I was worried I was one of those people, and wanted to make sure there were vegan options out there in case it turned out I had some absorption/synthesis disorders.

Clearly, the moral of this thread is that I was neurotic about nutrition (worrying about unlikely problems).

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v19/n5/full/nm.3145.html