Vegetarian Supplements

Vegetarianism is growing in popularity everyday! An estimated 2 to 3 percent of adult Americans choose not to eat meat, poultry or fish, and a subset of those are vegans, who avoid all animal products including dairy and eggs. Some vegetarians may be deficient in certain nutrients and should consider taking a supplement to complement their vegetarian lifestyle and diet.

Supplements and vitamins that benefit those on a Vegan or Vegetarian diet If you have a healthy vegetarian diet or lifestyle, you are probably getting lots of important carotenoids, flavonoids, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients, unless you are eating lots of simple carbohydrates. However, as a vegetarian or vegan, even if you have a good diet, you may still be missing some key nutrients if you dont consume animal or dairy products. Supplements will help you provide these missing nutrients to make you feel more energetic and vital. Vitamins and nutrients that are found in very small amounts in a plant based diet and could possibly be beneficial as supplements to a vegetarian or a vegan, include:

B12 vitamin, also known as methylcobalamin -- B12 is crucial for healthy red blood cells and the neural system.
Carnitine is a nutrient that helps with energy production in mitochondria and helps form acetylcarnitine. Carnitine is available for purchase by itself.
CoQ10 is another nutrient crucial for energy metabolism within mitochondria.
Creatine is a nutrient that helps form stronger muscles and adds strength. Vegetarian body building enthusiasts could benefit from creatine.
Fish oils provide important omega3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA. Alternatively, flax seed oil could be a partial substitute. Flax seed oil provides omega3 fatty acids that may be converted into EPA and DHA, but there is no guarantee that such conversion will occur in adequate amounts. If you wish to take DHA in fish oils from a vegetarian source, consider DHA from algae.
Iron - Iron deficiency can cause fatigue. Iron deficiency, even to a moderate degree, can hinder memory and learning -- but iron supplements can turn those problems around.

By adding these supplements, a person on a vegetarian diet may notice having more energy and pep, and perhaps a feeling of uplifted mood. Even if no such effect is noticed, a vegan and vegetarian will do their body good by providing these missing nutrients as part of a life long health maintenance.