Vegetarianism: Vitamins and Minerals

I enjoy taking various effervescent vitamin and mineral tablets—the kind you can easily pick up at a CVS or Walgreens. As a vegetarian, though, I'm wondering how I can tell if any animal products were used during the manufacturing process.

What’s your take on this? Most of those vitamins and minerals you're talking about are just synthetic anyway. You get your nutrients from plants—so if a living organism is involved, we're talking plants.

Honestly, you’re a total madwoman... how am I even supposed to deal with such nonsense...
vitamins are made from what, exactly???!!! Unbelievable...

You have here a useful thread. To be fair, I haven't read it 😳

I didn't realize you were a vegetarian🙂

madwoman said:You have right here a pretty useful thread. Though, I haven't really read through it all 😳

I didn't realize you were vegetarian 🙂

It’s almost been a year now. Honestly, I was mostly talked into it by the birds I kept at home. 😵

Glad to hear it. Hopefully they finally talked some sense into you and you'll let them out of their cage 🙂

madwoman said:I'm glad. I really hope they talked you into it—hopefully you can let them out of the cage now.🙂

The vet mentioned they wouldn't have made it in the wild anyway—I managed to find a male and bought a female.
Now they're just flying around in this massive indoor aviary, totally safe from predators.😢

Anyway, getting back to the main point—if you're vegetarian and taking vitamins, have you ever actually wondered where they're sourced from?

buying pets 😢

I don't bother with supplements since I don't see the need; everything I require comes straight from my diet. My bloodwork is flawless and my physical health is peak, so I assume I'm not missing anything.

Would you like me to send you the address for a small vegan group where the ladies are quite knowledgeable, or should I ask them about those specific supplements for you?

By the way, I suggest joining the group. People have left an incredible amount of info on restaurants and grocery stores in New York City, along with recipes and more. 😉

coastalorca3 said:I’m a big fan of those fizzy vitamin and mineral tablets you can pick up at any local CVS or Walgreens. Since I follow a vegetarian diet, I’m a bit worried about the sourcing—is there a way to tell if animal products are used during the manufacturing process?

Just a heads-up, though—those calcium effervescent tablets actually have a pretty low absorption rate. They might not be the most effective choice for you.

Plus, most of those gummy vitamins are packed with nasty artificial sweeteners like aspartame anyway.

madwoman said:buying pets 😢

I don't take any vitamins—I just don't feel like I need them—since I get everything I need from my diet. My blood work comes back perfect and I feel great physically, so I assume I'm not missing anything.

Would you like me to send you the address for a small veggie group where the women are really knowledgeable, or should I ask them about those supplements for you?

Actually, I’d suggest joining the group yourself; people have shared a ton of useful info there regarding restaurants and grocery stores in New York City, recipes, and things like that.😉

Send the address.
What's your diet like?

I'll DM you the address once I get the green light. 😉

How do you think I eat? Quite well, actually. 🙂 By definition, I'm a lacto-vegetarian. I can't stand cooking, I don't own a cookbook, and I avoid all those super exotic ingredients—honestly, I almost envy the vegans who enjoy spending hours in the kitchen with specialty items. Unless, of course, you consider barley exotic. 🙂

Feel free to ask more if you want. Or just head over to the group. 👋

The madwoman said:I am the literal definition of a lacto-vegetarian. I honestly can't stand cooking.

What exactly does "lacto-vegetarian" entail?

Laura Evans3 said:Wait, what even is a lacto-vegetarian?

Basically, those folks who include dairy in their diet—it’s all about how you draw the line! There are actually a few different paths you can take here:

Vegans—they steer completely clear of anything animal-derived (though, goodness, they really have to be careful about food pairings since certain vitamins are mostly found in meat),

Lacto-ovo vegetarians—these guys are happy with eggs and dairy products,

And then you have pescatarians—who still enjoy fish on their plates.

nimbledriver81 said:pescatarians eat fish

So, what about people who don't eat meat at all? Aren't they vegetarians?🤔

I mean, since when is fish considered a plant?😕

nimbledriver81 said:pescatarians eat fish.

Some people tried to push "semi-vegetarians" as a category—basically just people who eat fish—but that isn't going to fly. If you aren't eating meat, you aren't eating meat. You can't call yourself veggie if you aren't. It's the same reason why macrobioticians don't claim the vegetarian label.

So, we have lacto-ovo, lacto, vegans, and fruitarians.🙂

Nah.
Vegetarian, vegan, raw food...
Each one's worse than the last. 🙄

madwoman said:buying pets 😢

I don't touch vitamins at all because I just don't feel like I need them, you know? Everything I need comes straight from my food. My blood work comes back perfect every single time and I feel absolutely amazing physically, so I figure I'm not missing anything!

Do you want me to send you the address for this little veggie group where the girls are super knowledgeable? Or should I just ask them about those supplements for you?

Honestly, you should totally join the group! People have posted so much incredible info about restaurants and grocery stores in New York City, plus recipes and everything else! 😉

Could you shoot me a PM with the link for the group? I was strictly lacto-vegetarian for a few years, but lately—mostly because of my job—it’s been hard to prep meals that way, so I've been eating fish too. Anyway, I know quite a bit about nutrition, so maybe I can help out a little too!🙂

whispered🙂