by Nicole Nolan

Created on: February 06, 2009

To find out whether or not a vegetarian diet can provide sufficient nutrition, all you have to do is look at cultures that are primarly vegetarian. A traditional Japanese diet includes very little meat, though it does include fish. A traditional Indian diet (Hindu and Buddhist in particular) is vegetarian, though it includes a large amount of dairy in many cases. Ancient China, particularly under the period where Buddhism flourished, was nearly vegan. All of those cultures thrived. Many ancient monastic diets in these regions consisted of brown rice and mung beans, and the people who followed this lived long healthy lives.

I have been a strict vegetarian for 2 years, was vegan for close to a year, and now I include small amounts of fish very rarely, mainly because I cannot resist my boyfriend's culinary prowess, and growing up on the ocean, it has been a major part of my diet growing up. I have noticed health improvements since dropping meat, and a few which are not expected.

I have had a history of low iron, and my doctor suggested I go on a supplement before I went vegetarian. I never got the supplements, and had a blood test about 6 months after going vegetarian, and my iron was fine. The reason for this is simple. Going vegetarian made me rediscover food. I started experimenting with heritage grains, and I pretty well cut all processed grains out of my diet, and based it on brown rice, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet. All these grains are much higher in iron than wheat, and retain the nutrients lost in processing. Ofcourse, heritage and organic shade grown varieties provide the best nutrients.

Protein is another concern of many people, but it should not be. It is in everything from spinach to bread, so stop worrying about it.

B12 is the main thing that shouldd be looked after. A vegan diet will likely not contain this bacteria based food in sufficient amounts without attention. As it is the product of bacteria, B12 can be found in many fermented foods including kombucha, tempeh, saurkraut, and others. The main issue is to make sure that the fermentation was not too sanitary in a factory. You can make your own fermented vegetables, kombucha, and rejuvelac (fermented wheatberry beverage). Aim for tempeh that gives B12 content on it's label, or buy the cheapest stuff you can find in a traditional Asian market.

There are a few other things to consider. Digestive difficulties can inhibit the absorbtion of vitamins and minerals with meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Celiac can provide a barrier for vegetarians, as it causes severe sensitivites to gluten (grain based protein) so many essential grains must be avoided. Wheat, spelt, rye, kamut, and many others. Even gluten free grains such as oats may be contaminated. Meat is on the safe list, so an undiagnosed meat eater may do better than an undiagnosed vegetarian, however, awareness makes it perfectly easy to avoid gluten even on a vegetarian diet. Soy intolerace can also be a problem. Sticking with only fermented soy products (no tofu, but tempeh is ok, and so is miso), and using almond or hemp milk instead of soy milk.

With some basic reading, a vegetarian diet can be perfectly healthy. It is good however for vegetarians and meat eaters alike to take a daily multi vitamin, and perhaps a vitamin D supplement for those in low sun climates.

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