Getting enough vitamins?

[Tash]

Hi,

So I turned Vegan about 23 hours ago! Aha. I've been thinking about it for a while and researching it and was going to wait till at least February but I decided to take the plunge and just go for it! Best way isn't it! What I was wondering, is do I have to take any supplements for anything now I am not eating any animal products
. My mum is worried about this too. What does everyone else do?

Thank,

Tash xxx

 

[winter.frost]

You can easily take a multivitamin designed for vegans if you are really worried. Holland & Barrett have one I believe.

B12 is something you need to be sure you're getting. However many vegan substitute dairy products, such as butters and milks, tend to be fortified with B12 these days. Yeast extracts are also fortified.

I would also recommending supplementing for iodine. Vegans tend to neglect iodine because the best plant-based source is seaweed. I seem to say this over and over, but it's true - iodine gets neglected. I also know a few vegans who supplement for iron but I'm not sure how necessary this is given that there is an abundance of iron-rich foods from plant-based sources.

Otherwise as long as you eat a balanced, wholesome diet you should be perfectly fine. In the unlikely event you experience any symptoms, which don't recover upon taking a multivitamin for a few weeks, the NHS will provide you with a blood test if an electrolyte imbalance is suspected. Generally you can expect the results of a basic test within one week, depending on where in the UK you are based.

I know several vegans who routinely get blood tests but they don't do this because they are worried - they do it to prove to the nay-sayers that veganism is a healthy diet to adopt; to be able to provide ongoing evidence.

 

[VeganStickers]

I agree with winter.frost. Plus remember to not eat less, many people do mistake after turning vegan and eat less than before, and that wont end good. And don't listen to people who say (and i bet you will hear this from non vegans sooner or later) that taking supplements is not natural and ineffective (comparing to "natural" vitamins in animal products). Farm animals are supplemented with B12 etc (and many other stuff that are far from being "natural")

 

[winter.frost]

Hello again. I just found this link on the Vegan Society UK website. A really useful list of vegan multivitamins:
http://www.vegansociety.com/shop/supplements