Vitamin B12 is important so Doctor also recommends vegans get tested it

Vegetarians and vegans need to pay attention to their iron and vitamin B12 levels, according to a Canadian researcher.

Dr. Agnes Kwasnicka of the University of Toronto reviewed previous studies on the nutritional adequacy of vegetarian and vegan diets. She found that vegetarians are more than twice as likely as non-vegetarians to have iron deficiency. Vegetarians, and particularly vegans, are also more likely to have vitamin B12 deficiency.

She says vegetarians should ensure they have adequate iron sources combined with vitamin C, and should try to lower intake of iron absorption inhibitors such as tannins, which occur in tea and coffee, and phytates, which occur in spinach. Because of its phytate content, spinach is not as valuable an iron source as it is often thought to be, Kwasnicka says.

Calcium can also inhibit iron absorption, so Kwasnicka suggests taking calcium supplements a few hours earlier or later than eating iron-rich foods.

She recommends vegans have their serum B12 levels tested seven to 10 years after adopting a vegan diet, by which time liver stores of the nutrient will have been depleted. Testing is particularly recommended in people who have not been taking supplements or eating foods rich in B12.

A vegan diet is a stricter form of vegetarianism that avoids the use of eggs and dairy products in addition to meat. –(source :www.macleans.ca)–