Vegetarian Diet Health Concerns - are there nutritional deficiencies?

What is true is that, while the iron content in vegetarian diets is usually similar to non-vegetarian diets, iron from vegetarian sources does have lower bioavailability - the best sources of highly absorbable iron are usually animal-based foods such as red meat and eggs.

Vegetarians thus generally have lower levels of iron in their bodies than meat-eaters, and are more likely to suffer from iron deficiency. So, to some extent, there is a valid vegetarian health concern here.

However, we should also realize that iron deficiency anemia in vegetarians is said to be rare. In my opinion, as long as a vegetarian consumes a varied and balanced diet, including decent amounts of the abovementioned foods, he or she should be fine, and there is no need to be unduely worried about this particular slight vegetarian diet health concern.


Vitamin B12

There is also a vegetarian diet health concern relating to vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria in soil as well as in animals. It is found in dairy products and eggs, so vegetarians who consume these foods would have a good source of vitamin B12.

It is worthwhile to note that the human body preserves vitamin B12 and reuses it without destroying the vitamin. In fact, the body is said to be able to preserve stores of vitamin B12 for up to 30 years without the need for any replenishment! In general, vitamin B12 deficiency is rather rare.

Thus, with these facts in mind, I don't see the supposed lack of vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets as a problem at all.

Some people say that a vegetarian diet lacks vitamin B12 and add that it is thus necessary to consume supplements or foods fortified with vitamin B12.

However, there are some studies which imply that vitamin B12 consumed via supplements may in fact interfere with the body's absorption of natural vitamin B12.

Personally, I usually already do not favor single-substance supplements (for example, zinc or potassium supplements), and much prefer whole food supplements (LINK), for example barley grass powder (LINK) or wheat grass powder (LINK). With this further piece of information, all the more I do not see the wisdom of vitamin B12 supplementation.

I take a particular whole food supplement which contains several of nature's superfoods, such as wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina, etc. I took a look at its nutritional information and found that one serving of the supplement gives me more than 5.5 times my daily requirement of vitamin B12.

With that, I put to bed any vegetarian diet health concern I had with regard to vitamin B12.


'Energy', or calories

Some people raise a vegetarian diet health effect which they experience - that they lack 'energy' or vitality when they do not eat meat.

While protein is needed for the body to repair and build tissue, it is the complex carbohydrates, sugars and starches which provide energy.

And there are more than enough calories in whole grains, starchy vegetables such as potatoes and yams, as well as fruits, which contain natural sugars.

In fact, vegetarian diets have been shown to have more carbohydrates than diets which contain meat.

Thus, it is quite clear that people who claim to 'lack energy' while on a vegetarian diet, are pretty much dealing with a psychological issue more than anything.


Essential Fatty Acids

One vegetarian diet health concern sometimes raised is the lack of essential fatty acids.

Those who eat fish or fish oils will have a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, there are also many good plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including canola oil, chia seeds, flaxseeds (also called linseeds), flaxseed oil, hempseeds, pumpkin seeds soybeans, walnuts and walnut oil.

Flaxseed oil, in particular, is an excellent source of the essential fatty acids.

Again, this particular vegetarian diet health concern is nothing much to worry about.


Zinc

Zinc is an important mineral needed for digestion as well as growth. It also plays a part in healthy immune function.

Though not often, the lack of zinc is sometimes mentioned as a vegetarian diet health gap. However, there are in fact many good sources of zinc in the plant kingdom. Dry beans, legumes, nuts and whole grains are good plant sources of zinc.

For those who are not full vegetarians, dairy products and shellfish are also said to be good sources of zinc.


Vitamin D

The last vegetarian diet health issue to be discussed is vitamin D.

Vitamin D is critical for immune function as well as the absorption of calcium. There are very few foods, especially vegetarian foods, which are high in vitamin D.

The truth is, vitamin D levels do not appear to be lower in vegetarians than meat-eaters. In any case, most of the population in many first world countries today are deficient in vitamin D, anyway.

Our bodies make their own vitamin D, and the best way to get your requirement of vitamin D - and this applies to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians - is to expose your bare skin (no lotion or sun block!) to regular and sensible amounts of sunlight, preferably during the morning or late afternoon / evening.

Those living in temperature areas would need more sun exposure to produce the needed amounts of vitamin D, as would darker skinned people.

Food is hardly ever the main source of vitamin D anyway, so I see very little to worry about with this vegetarian diet health concern.


Conclusion

We have to realize that any poorly planned or poorly executed diet can result in many different kinds of nutritional deficiencies. Being vegetarian is thus not the problem, per se.

Numerous studies have shown, conclusively, that a vegetarian diet can meet the nutritional needs of a person during all stages of life, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, pregnancy and lactation.

Many doctors and medical organizations champion this fact.

Therefore, vegetarian diet health concerns with regard to nutritional deficiencies are unfounded.


To read more about vegetarian nutrition, click here.

To read about formulating a good vegetarian diet plan, click here.

Having read this page on potential vegetarian diet health concerns, do you still have vegetarian diet health reservations of your own?

Read More: More on Vegetarianism | Understanding Nutrition and its Importance | Nutrition Health Articles - Foods, Diets, Supplements, Nutrients and more | Information on some Herbs | Favorite Herbs, Herbals Formulas and Foods | Natural Health Supplements - What to Consider | Home Page | Site Search

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