VeggieBoards banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Any vitamins

3K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  Naturebound 
#1 ·
Just curious if anyone here takes any vitamins like B-12 or something, i am not sure if i am lacking something in my diet i have been a vegetarian for 4 years and am just wondering whether or not i should add some vitamins
 
#3 ·
I eat a lot of Nutritional Yeast, so I haven't bothered with B12 (none of my blood tests have indicated I need more of it),

I'd recommend going and getting your levels checked. Then if there's something that needs supplements to fix, use them. Or if the levels could be 'better' but can be fixed with diet, do it that way. But get them checked by tests first. No point guessing.
 
#4 ·
Thing about B12 is that it stays in your system for years, so if you're okay now it's not a good reflection of your diet today, but some time ago.

I do take B12, and Devas cal-mag -d.
I also like taking an algae DHA

And another reminder that not all nutritional yeast contains b12. The Whole Foods in my area still does not. Luckily I've always gotten it from another natural food store that keeps it refrigerated.

I'm going to have to step up the D. I just had blood work and I'm only at 16! 40 is good...
 
#11 ·
I take Feroglobin by Vitabiotics (out of choice). It's a Liquid iron, zinc, B complex suitable for vegetarians but I don't think it's suitable for vegans. About a year after I became vegetarian I was tested for any deficiencies and I was clear. A couple of years ago I thought it would be good to take some sort of supplement to help with my immune system as I work with children. Even though it contains some vitamin C I also take chewable vitamin C tablets just to boost it a little (good for the winter months).
 
#13 · (Edited)
OP I've been a vegetarian for 15 years. My approach to vegetarianism was all wrong and I didn't eat right for at least 10 of those 15 years. Throughout those years I've suffered with shortness of breath and undiagnosed neurological problems. Yesterday I saw a video by Michael Greger about vegetarian and vegan diets. He recommended flaxo seeds. I went out and brought them and my breathing is regular now and the neurological problems seem to have gone also. I realise this may seem a bold claim, but I have lived with both for a long time now and I recognise their absence. My breathing was so bad I had to consciously keep my mouth open to receive lungfuls of air. I use to go to sleep and wake up with headaches if I didn't leave a window open.

I would advise you to buy ground flaxo seeds and take them as instructed (if you don't already).
 
#15 ·
Vegetarians should supplement B12, D3, K2, iodine and zinc.

B12 & K2 are produced by soil bacteria and only abundant in animals and unwashed produce. Iodine is only abundant in seafood and kelp.

D3 requires more sunlight than many people get, especially when people live in latitudes not suited to their skin pigmentation. You may get enough from sunlight in summer but will probably want to supplement in winter.

The phytic acid in grains & beans bonds to minerals and makes them unabsorbable. This is true for zinc/iron and to a lesser extent calcium/magnesium. You can compensate by eating nutrient-rich produce, but its hard to get enough zinc. If you don't eat oysters then you should aim to supplement ~10mg of zinc/day.

I take Fuhrman's multivitamin and give myself a monthly B12 shot. His diet is rich in almost all other nutrients.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Vegetarians should supplement B12, D3, K2, iodine and zinc.

B12 & K2 are produced by soil bacteria and only abundant in animals and unwashed produce. Iodine is only abundant in seafood and kelp.

D3 requires more sunlight than many people get, especially when people live in latitudes not suited to their skin pigmentation. You may get enough from sunlight in summer but will probably want to supplement in winter.

The phytic acid in grains & beans bonds to minerals and makes them unabsorbable. This is true for zinc/iron and to a lesser extent calcium/magnesium. You can compensate by eating nutrient-rich produce, but its hard to get enough zinc. If you don' eat oysters then you should aim to supplement ~10mg of zinc/day.

I take Fuhrman's multivitamin and give myself a monthly B12 shot. His diet is rich in almost all other nutrients.
Hi and welcome. :)
Some of your statements are mistaken, though.
1. Vegans need B12, not healthy vegetarians who eat dairy and/or eggs. It also takes a while for the body's stores of B12 to be used up after going vegan. Taking weekly injections of B12 is not recommended unless you have pernicious anemia or another condition. You can have too much B12 if you don't allow your body time to excrete it.

2. Take too much K and you are endangering yourself. It's for blood clotting and does not leave the body readily. Most veg*ns get plenty of vitamin K through their vegetables and fruits. I know about the whole new "K2 is the greatest" propoganda from Mercola/Weston-Price, the meat pushers. Coincidently K2 is found in things like animals' organ meats. Do you have studies (not Mercola/Weston-Price, from real journals) touting K2 as helpful? I have not seen any proof yet.

3. D2 is vegan and also raises your levels of D. Vitamin D is a serious deficiency in all groups, no matter their diet, especially people who avoid the sun, live in non-sunny climes, and/or who are darker-skinned. This is for veggies or meat eaters.

4. There are non-cruelty foods rich in zinc. Pumpkin seeds, for one. Please dont talk about eating sea creatures.

5. Iodine is added to table salt, and is also found in some edible seaweeds. Careful supplentation is important, since too much iodine affects the thyroid.

6. This whole phytase scare is overblown. A balanced vegan diet with beans and grains is not going to cause some phytase crisis.

This article is interesting.
http://info.breadbeckers.com/phytic-acid/

" Phytic acid's "chelating" ability is considered by some to be a detriment to one's health. On the other hand, many researchers embrace this ability to bind with minerals as its most powerful asset.

In her book, Diet for the Atomic Age, Sara Shannon, lists 11 nutrients in particular that protect against heavy metal toxicity and radiation damage. Phytates bind with radioactive and toxic substances and carry them out of the body. Aware of phytic acid's mineral binding properties, Shannon states that an adequate diet will more than compensate.

One must also remember that whole grains themselves are an abundant source of iron, calcium, and zinc. After extensive research, Shannon found that the more toxic our environment becomes, grains are our best source of protection, particularly due to the phytate content. She believes that "for optimal health, at least half of every meal should be grains". Why would one want to denature something that is so beneficial? In fact, a supplement company is actually isolating this "powerful antioxidant" because of its anti-tumor, anti-carcinogenic, and blood sugar regulating properties!

Studies show that phytic acid, particularly from wheat bran, actually stimulates the productions of phytase in the small intestine. The fact that phytase can be produced in the small intestine eliminates the necessity of fermenting all grains before consuming them, as in the case of unleavened breads, quick breads (that do not use yeast as a leavening), and parched or boiled grains. Phytase activity in the small intestine actually increased, not decreased, the absorption of minerals, especially, calcium. (Journal of Nutrition 2000:130: 2020-2025)."
 
#17 ·
Maybe you should analyze your diet on a site like https://cronometer.com/

I did and the only two things it showed I was deficient in were B12 (duh) and calcium (big disappointment). I was a little short on zinc, but didn't worry about that.

I supplement with a sublingual B12 twice a week and my lab work shows my B12 in the normal range. Many people are anti-supplement, but it doesn't hurt, esp. on days you know you're not eating well. On the other hand you don't have to get 100% of every single necessary vitamin every day. Just eat a wide variety of food.
 
#18 ·
Every day I take:
- 250 mcg B12
- 1500 IU D2
- Calmag 80/40 mg (just to boost the calcium a bit, usually 1-2)
- Algae oil containing 200 mg DHA and 6 mg EPA

3 times a week I also take a small iodine supplement since I seldom eat seaweed and things like that.
 
#21 ·
I looked into the iodine thing and found many sea plants have loads of it! As in, if you eat a lot of seaweed you could be at risk for toxicity.
I eat those seaweed snacky packs, and occasionally put kombu in soups, or rice.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I don't eat table salt, and cook all my meals salt-free and by salt free beans, tomatoes, etc. I've gotten used to it. The natural sodium in my food seems to cover me well with sodium needs and if a dish calls for soy sauce (I love Asian food) I use low sodium soy sauce which has a lot of sodium in it. Once or twice a week I add a tablespoon of kelp powder to a juice or smoothie and my last thyroid function labs were good. I buy it in bulk organic from Amazon and it lasts a long time. Kelp as 300% the daily needs, so I don't feel the need to overdo it. I'm pretty sure my multi has some in it as well.

Vegan Vitamin D3 seems to work for me as my levels a year ago were normal, although on the low side of normal. I live in Florida and get plenty of sunshine, particularly in the cooler months, but on days I don't get any sun I'll take a vegan D3..

Whole grains from many sources in my diet have a place for a variety of reasons.

About the K2 issue, I'm still learning. I have to ask if someone is doing all kinds of good things to prevent heart disease, diabetes, etc. and doesn't have these issues that a K2 deficiency can cause, and if he keeps on doing those things, it the K2 issue really that much of a priority or worry. For people with health issues, perhaps, but I'm talking healthy folks with a reasonable weight, etc.

This is a great discussion so far. Veg*ns seem very well informed and willing to learn and discuss nutritional issues, even when people don't agree.
 
#25 ·
As someone with severe osteoporosis (and being treated for it in several ways) I have taken an interest in K2. However, I found that K2 is very difficult to find in food or supplement form that is vegan, unless it is derived from natto, a type of soy used by Japanese. I ordered an expensive bottle of K2 supplement derived from natto (Doctors Best with MenaQ7) and started taking it a few months ago. Within a week I had a very bad reaction to it. I would flush red hot and had painful prickly sensations all over my body that would come and go and literally cause me to jump. It was a horrible feeling and felt like I was on fire from the inside out. I gave up on it and within a week all those symptoms went away. Not sure if I will try a different brand or give up on it for a while. It could have been a reaction to the natto but could have been something else in the supplement.

Other than that, I take a calcium/magnesium/trace bone mineral supplement, vegan D3 (also have bad reactions to a lot of D2 supplements including dull headaches), and B complex. I ride my bike to work and all over almost every day between May and October so I get a good bit of sunshine and my D levels (tested three times between 2011 and March of this year) have always been middle of healthy range even though I live in northern Minnesota. B levels were tested some time ago, about two years in as a vegan and were still good. On occasion I take a vegan DHA/EPA supplement but I am not regular or consistent with it. I do enjoy sea vegetables in moderation (dulse, kelp, wakeme) for iodine but have to be careful because I have a thyroid condition and too much iodine can hurt it too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top