Why is it easy to get anemia on a vegetarian diet? This is because almost all plant-based foods, including grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, jujubes, longans, honey, and brown sugar water, are not good sources of iron (they either contain very little iron or are poorly absorbed) and they contain almost no vitamin B12, both of which are crucial for blood production.
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Iron is a key raw material for synthesizing hemoglobin, and anemia caused by iron deficiency is the most common type. Good sources of iron are various meats, including livestock and poultry meat, animal liver, blood, and fish and shellfish. These foods are rich in iron and have high absorption rates, making them far more effective for supplementing iron and blood than other foods. In comparison, not only plant-based foods, but even eggs and dairy products, are not good sources of iron. Therefore, vegetarians should pay special attention to how to get enough iron. One method is to eat more whole grains and nuts and consume them together with fruits and vegetables. The vitamin C in fruits and vegetables can promote the absorption of iron from whole grains and nuts. Alternatively, during the meal, take an oral dose of 100 mg of vitamin C to promote the absorption of dietary iron. Another method is to take iron-containing nutritional supplements, such as multivitamins.
Vitamin B12 is also one of the raw materials for blood production, and its deficiency can lead to more severe anemia. Vitamin B12 is more "particular" than iron; it is only found in animal-based foods such as fish, meat, eggs, and dairy, and is virtually absent in plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts). Therefore, vegetarians should not be too strict and should consider eating some dairy and eggs. If a strict vegan diet (without eggs or dairy) is necessary, one measure is to eat fermented soy products such as fermented bean curd and soybean paste, which contain a fair amount of vitamin B12. Another measure is to take a multivitamin that contains vitamin B12.