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Vegetarians and illnesses
I've heard that many vegetarians become sick after not eating meat for a long period of time.
What sicknesses do they get and what are the symptoms.?
Thankyou.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Illnesses?
The reason vegetarians become ill is because their blood iron gets too low. Women are more prone to this as we bleed once a month and our bodies have to build up the blood again that we lose during that time. This lack of iron is typically referred to as anemia.
People tend to get their iron from meat sources, but there are plenty of green leafy vegetables (like spinach and broccoli) that are fairly good sources of iron. The problem is, sometimes vegetarians don't like those either or they simply don't eat enough of them to begin with.
Iron supplements are commonly used if one is to become a vegetarian. Some women have a natural low-iron level anyway--vegetarian or not--and have to take the iron supplement anyway. This is usually indicated by dark circles under the eyes and fatigue (those are the most common signs, mind you).
Other symptoms of anemia may include headache, fatigue, weakness, and difficulty concentrating. With severe anemia, other symptoms, such as shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat, may be experienced.
So, it isn't all vegetarians that become ill. My boyfriend has been a vegetarian his entire life (38 years) and he is very, very healthy. Both of his parents are vegetarians as well. I, personally, don't eat much meat at all and I haven't gotten ill yet (I do take iron supplements though).
So, it isn't the lack of meat itself that makes someone ill, but the lack of the nutrients they usually get from the meat. The nutrient can, obviously, be substituted so there really isn't a reason why someone should become ill simply because they don't eat meat.
So, simply put, a vegetarian will be just fine if he/she eats plenty of leafy green vegetables that are good sources of iron and/or takes an iron supplement regularly. With all of the growth hormones and antibiotics that are fed to farm animals now, vegetarianism is well worth an iron pill a day!
I apologize for such a late answer but I was running through old questions and found this not properly answered. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask me! :)
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heyyy
ive been a vegetarian for 2 ahd a half years and i dont get sick more than anyone else does, actually being a vegetarian is MORE healthy for you but some people take protien vitamins like b12 cuz you can only get tht in meat.
you can become sick if you dnt eat healthy but not from being a vegetarian
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I'm a vegetarian [and have been for about a year], and I have yet to become seriously ill. My mom, however, is a registered nurse, and she worries. She tells me that the main thing to worry about it becoming anemic.
-Laura. (16-f)
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When you're converting to vegetarianism you have to do your research (which most people don't). When you don't eat red meat, you don't get iron. Iron is an essential nutrient. The mistake most people make is not getting a substitute for it.
If you have low iron you become anemic. As long as you find this nutrient somewhere else (other foods or vitamin supplements) then you will become very sluggish, VERY TIRED and noticeably lose energy.
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I used to be vegetarian, and I never got seriously ill, I just found that I didn't have much energy and I required more sleep. I was basically useless while playing sports (and sports are a huge part of my life). So, I eventually quit because I just couldn't function that way any longer.
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Im a on again off again "vegetarian" i guess you could say,i don't eat meat very often but when i do i get sick,like my stomach will hurt but it eventually goes away.It varies for different people though some get nausea,hheadaches,constipation,or er gas issues(if you know what i mean) It's kind of like getting a short flu.I found some websites on it:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
hope i could help :)
♥ danielle
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