First of all everyone should take a multivitamin & mineral formula (MVM). Being a vegetarian you may have a greater need for a MVM than most non-vegetarians (omnivores) based the elimination of animal meats of all kinds. And if you are a pure vegan (absolutely no animal forms/products in the diet or supplements), you must be EXTRA careful to get all your vitamins and minerals because animal products contain nutrients often far more difficult or impossible to acquire from plant-based foods. This includes vitamin B12, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and marine omega-3 fatty acids. This is not to say you can’t eat a very healthy vegetarian diet that might be far healthier than the typical American diet, but remember this: the most recent government studies show that virtually everyone in the US falls short of our daily requirements. Reasons are obvious: 1) a daily “perfect diet” is generally not palatable to most and/or contains too many calories to maintain proper weight or to be able to lose weight; 2) who can design a diet that can contains all the daily requirements? – this is even more difficult for a vegan; 3) even if we tried to eat “perfectly” – based on the food’s origin/soil/feed, harvest process, storage & shipping time, cooking methods, etc., there is no guarantee the nutrients (or amounts) you are trying to ingest are in the foods - and what are you going to do – test every food you eat for nutrient content? 4) As we age our body’s needs change. We require the substances our bodies can no longer produce or acquire efficiently from food. A MVM formula designed for you (not a generic drug store cheapie) is tested to have all the listed nutrients so you have comfort and insurance (at a nominal price) that you are getting all you need to live a longer, more productive life.