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![🛏️ Are you fatigued? Got a weak immune system? Digestive problems?
Science tells us more. The advice below only applies when you eat no/less meat *in the long term*.
50% of vegetarians and 80% of vegans have a vitamin B12 deficiency [Bissoli 2002, Antony 2003].
Per day, we need ~5 mcg of vitamin B12 for optimal health [Ströhle 2019].
Only animal products contain vitamin B12, and sometimes manufacturers add it to plant-based products.
Still, I recommend supplementing with 4 mcg of vitamin B12, or consuming more eggs, milk, and/or greek yogurt.
17-31% of the world’s population has a zinc deficiency.
Especially vegetarians/vegans are at risk, as zinc is mostly found in shellfish and red meat [Wessels 2012, Caulfield & Black].
For this reason I recommend supplementing 10-20 mg of zinc per day.
A calcium supplement (1 g per day) is important for those who don’t eat dairy.
Vegetarians who eat enough dairy are at a lower risk for deficiencies than vegans. Still, look at your eating pattern and supplement where it’s needed.
Of course, to be sure you can always get a blood test.
Note that: 1) they can be quite costly, 2) they only give a snap-shot of your current vitamin/mineral state, 3) they can’t effectively measure your zinc levels (stored elsewhere in body).
To find the full studies, google the names within the brackets.](https://i2.wp.com/bodylogiq.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png?w=1536&ssl=1)
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