Vegetarian diets grow in popularity every day as people realize the benefits in terms of weight control, nutrition and cost. Some religions advocate a vegetarian diet, while some people simply object to killing animals for food. Overall, vegetarian diets are healthy diets, but depending on how strictly you practice it, you can have problems getting enough iron and vitamin B-12. A deficiency in either or both can lead to anemia.
Kinds of Vegetarian Diets
Some vegetarians avoid all food from animal sources, including dairy, eggs and honey. This type of vegetarian diet is commonly referred to as "vegan." Vegans have the most difficulty getting adequate vitamin B-12 and iron. Other vegetarians eat dairy products, but not eggs; they are called lacto-vegetarians. Yet others eat eggs, but not dairy, and are called ovo-vegetarians. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both dairy and eggs.
Anemia
Anemia is the condition of having too few red blood cells or red blood cells that lack the normal amount of hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying protein. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, pale skin, rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, cold or numb hands or feet, low body temperature, chest pain and irritability.
The most common cause of anemia is a deficiency of iron, which is needed to make hemoglobin. A deficiency of vitamin B-12 or folate, both of which are needed to make red blood cells, can also cause anemia. Vitamin B-12 can be lacking in a vegan diet. Folate, which is present in leafy green vegetables, legumes and fruits, is generally in plentiful supply.
Iron
The two forms of iron are heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from hemoglobin, a component of blood. Only food from animal flesh contains it. Non-heme is found in non-flesh sources of food, including plants, dairy and eggs. Your body more easily absorbs heme iron, which is absent in a vegetarian diet. Vitamin C helps with absorption of non-heme iron, so eat a food containing vitamin C, such as tomatoes or citrus fruit, with good sources of non-heme iron. For example, orange juice helps your body absorb the non-heme iron in oatmeal. Legumes and spinach are also good sources of non-heme iron. Improve iron absorption by eating them with tomatoes.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is present in food from animal sources, including dairy and eggs. If you regularly eat dairy products and eggs, you are unlikely to be deficient in B-12. If you are vegan, you can still get enough vitamin B-12 if you eat breakfast cereals that are fortified with the vitamin. A deficiency can cause permanent nerve damage in addition to anemia, so if you avoid packaged and fortified foods as well as food from animal sources, you may need to take a B-12 supplement. This is especially important for pregnant and lactating vegans, as B-12 is critical to the health of a developing fetus or child. Consult your doctor for his advice on whether you need a vitamin B-12 supplement.
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