"Supplements Aren't Natural"

“Vegans have to take supplements which means their diet isn’t natural. I prefer wholefoods and natural sources of nutrients.”

I mention that I took some supplements even before going vegan, and why I do so now is covered in the article on vitamins and minerals.

However, I didn’t realise the extent to which supplements are already integrated into our everyday diets, even for those who aren’t vegan.

A spoon full of sugar (and supplements)

Living in modern society, they’ve already got us on a pill or two, whether we realise it or not.

• Vitamin D: The NHS advises everyone in the UK to consider taking a vitamin D supplement in autumn and winter because our country is grey!
• Fortified foods: White and brown flour in the UK has extra B vitamins added by law. Plenty of breakfast cereals and of course plant milks are fortified too.
• Iodised salt: Many countries have implemented one form of iodine fortification in salt to prevent an iodine deficiency.

It’s safe to say that most people have a some sort of supplement or fortification in their diet, whether they realise it or not. I was never living some pure, untouched lifestyle free from supplements.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

A natural diet doesn’t mean anything these days. We all rely on some sort of additional process to get everything we need.

I would say that being vegan led to more certainty about my nutritional intake. Eating meat was easy, but it was also easy to not pay attention to whether I was actually getting all the necessary nutrients.