Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassini90125
As Vitamin B12 comes only from animal products, a strict vegan has a choice; he can either take a supplement, or he can eventually die from nerve degeneration. End of story. That being said, a vegetarian diet has a lot to offer; it is much lower in fat and calories than meat-based diets, it's cholesterol free, and aside from Vitamin B12 it is capable of supplying all of the body's required nutrients. Some nutrients, such as calcium and iron, can be problematic, but it is usually possible to work around such problems with a little research and planning.
|
Vitamin B12 is still very readily available to the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, of course, with emphasis on the "lacto" and "ovo". And additionally, as I said above, there is a wide variety of plant-based foods which have been fortified with B12 nowadays which make up valuable sources of nutrients. Which is why I've never had the need personally to take vitamin supplements. For a strict vegan, it may well be a different story, but I've yet to enter into that particular camp.