Alternative Health Blog

In a study involving 54 vegetarian Buddhist nuns, 31 non-vegetarian Catholic nuns, and 31 female college students in Korea, serum levels of ferritin and hematocrit did not differ between the Buddhist vegetarians and the non-vegetarian students (who had a high intake of animal foods and low intake of vitamin C), while the non-vegetarian Catholic nuns who had a modest consumption of animal products and a high consumption of vitamin C, were found to have higher levels of both serum ferritin and hematocrit. Amongst the vegetarians, positive associations were found between vitamin C intake and serum ferritin levels and between laver intake and serum vitamin B12 levels. The authors state, "Korean laver can be a good source of vitamin B-12 for vegetarians." These results suggest that one may maintain healthy nutritional status even if adhering to a vegetarian diet, so long as adequate sources of iron, folate, and vitamin B12 are included in the diet.