Is it okay if I just supplement with B12 and zinc?
Hi everyone,
I've been vegan for a little more than a month now and I fell pretty great! My diet rarely has been as complete and rich in nutrients. After doing some extensive research, I decided to supplement with zinc on top of B12 as plant sources of zinc are hardly enough for the recommended intake of a 20 y-o man. However, after further research, I saw that non-heme iron is much less efficiently absorbed than heme iron and that spooked me a little, I saw a source saying non-heme iron absorbtion could be as low as 2% of the ingested amount.
However, my diet is very rich in iron/folate/calcium foods, revolving around tofu (at least 200 g a day), enriched soy milk, legumes (I eat chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. at almost every meal), seeds and nuts (chia seeds, flaxseeds, peanut butter, almonds, sunflower seeds mostly), and a good amount of greens and fruits (most often I'll eat lettuce, bananas, kiwi, tomato, raw onions and carrots but I try to vary from time to time), with a lot of healthy fats as well: olive/coconut oil... I think I don't eat enough leafy greens however, and to me that's a problem since spinach and the likes are so rich in stuff like calcium, etc.
Do you think I might need to eat more or something or implement a new supplement in my diet or does that seem good to you guys? Thanks!