Vegetarians face nutrient challenges

I found Jessica Van Sack’s article on the benefits of vegetarianism to be an interesting read (“What’s the beef with meat?” March 27).

However, in order to be fully informed before one makes a decision to become a vegetarian, there are other points to consider. While it is true that certain green leafy foods such as spinach contain a high amount of iron, vegetables are not the best source of this nutrient for us. The iron in spinach is not as available to people as the iron in meat is — meaning that our bodies have a much harder time extracting and therefore utilizing this mineral from vegetables than from meat sources.

The same characteristic holds true for many of the iron supplements on the market. The amount of spinach that has to be consumed in order to meet the average adult’s daily requirement of “bioavailable” iron is extreme (something like 12 servings!). As a result, many vegetarians find themselves to be iron deficient and anemic.

Being a vegetarian and at the same time meeting your nutritional needs is not always easy. Vegetarians have to make sure they get enough protein (or else risk fatigue and hair loss) and calcium (a lack of which is linked to osteoporosis).

Since heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, cutting down on meat products, which are often high in fat and cholesterol, seems to be a good idea. Cutting it completely out of your diet before considering all of the consequences is not. As always, moderation is probably the best choice.

CAS ’99