Vegans have to take supplements

Actually, the only thing most of the vegans supplement is B12 (see How to supplement B12 and why we need to supplement B12). Disregarding of that vegans don’t have to supplement more than non-vegans, but it seems like vegans pay more attention to this topic and what they eat, because of the prejudice (see Vegans get nutritional deficits). And sometimes it makes sense to just take some preventive supplements, especially if you know that you probably have some problems to get enough of a specific vitamin/mineral. This could be because you know that you don’t eat enough of a specific food category (is not available if you are eating local foods, you don’t like it or for other reasons) or because your body cannot absorb it well enough. A blood test can also help to find some deficits.

It shouldn’t look like in the picture at your place. But it is nothing wrong about supplementing something (vegan or not). It’s always better to be preventive. And if we count the number of pills (overall) I am 100% sure that non-vegans have a way higher intake. Just think about all the blood pressure pills.

So no, vegans don’t have to take more supplements, but it could be that they take more than non-vegans just to be on the safe side. And a lot of non-vegans also should take care about it, because some have definitely deficiencies. I am not telling you that taking pills all day so you can eat a horrible diet is the solution. But for example, if you are over 55 and you live in a country where you don’t get enough sunshine in the winter you should have a look at your vitamin D level and if those are too low you can react and prevent long-term problems. I am not a fan of supplementing stuff, because I believe we should get it directly from our food. But if it helps, why shouldn’t you support your body a little. And no vegans don’t have more deficits than non-vegans, because you can get everything you need (except B12) from a plant-based diet.

Personally, I supplement B12 and Omega 3. The reason I supplement Omega 3 is that in our modern western diet our Omega 6 to Omega 3 rate is not as recommended (disregarding of their diet). Because I know that I eat a lot of foods which are heavy in Omega 6 (not oils, but oats, etc.) so I just take vegan Omega 3 pills to be sure I get enough Omega 3. If you are interested in a post about Omega 3, let me know in the comment section below as I assume this topic could need some further explanations.

Do the change and go vegan

By simply making other choices in the supermarket you can have a direct impact on the harm caused to other living beings. If you have any concerns regarding veganism have a look at my other articles and if you still have open questions or if you are struggling at a specific point, just leave me a comment or contact me directly. If you want to support this webpage and me to continue spreading the vegan message you can do this here. Thank you a lot.

Don’t close your eyes and ask yourself what stops you to make a difference? I am convinced you won’t regret it.

Cheers,