Posted by Emme on June 19, 2003, at 22:01:18
In reply to Lenient VegetarianDiets can still cause B12 Defic , posted by jrbecker on June 19, 2003, at 11:54:16
Admittedly I'm no expert on the metabolism of the B vitamins. But I've been a vegetarian (not vegan) for about 12 years. My problems didn't coincide with my decision to not eat meat. Since I've been treated by my current pdoc, she's ordered my B-12 levels tested twice and both were normal. Maybe I'm just lucky so far. But it's smart to test for B-12 periodically when testing for other causes for psychiatric problems, whether one is veggie or not.
In my opinion it's not difficult to eat a healthy vegetarian diet without special knowledge. The key is variety - a variety of whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy if you wish. I do take a multivitamin and recently started a B-50 complex for good measure with B-12, but I did not always take the B-50 and I'm not sure if it's actually doing anything for me. I also have had lots of vegetarian friends and acquaintances who were no more sickly than the rest of the population.
But I do think nutrition in general becomes an issue when you have a mood disorder. When you're thinking about whether you want to be alive the next week, it's tough to focus on shopping, cooking, and covering your bases food-wise. At least it is for me. But it's late...I'm tired...I ramble....
G'night.
Emme
poster:Emme
thread:235091
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/235274.html