Hi everyone! I am new to this forum site as well as being a vegetarian. I've been vegetarian for two weeks today! However I have already noticed being more tired and my vision actually getting worse (just a little bit though). I don't like to wear my glasses because they make my vision worse after taking them off. Anyway I'm on the hunt for a good b complex vitamin that has the good b12 and something not too expensive. I saw good things about a company called jarrow and it's $12. I am also taking vitamin D because I'm prone to D deficiency. Any recommendations? Let me know! Thanks!

B12 dediciencies take a long time to develop. The most common cause of fatigue in a new vegetarian is lack of sufficient calories. We get this same post at least monthly from a new veg*n, and it is nearly always lack of enough food.

Let us know what you ate yesterday.

I don't remember everything I ate, but I do get more hungry mostly because I still live in a household where I don't do the cooking and I'm a poor college student so I can't really afford to buy any groceries for myself and I don't always have the time to cook for myself either. Usually, I am provided vegetarian options. One night, my mom made chili for the family (with meat) and then a smaller pot without meat for me. Anyway, even before going vegetarian I would get tired easily and I got tested for anemia, but I was fine. Now that I'm vegetarian, I get even more tired. I didn't really eat that much meat beforehand though so that's why I thought it was a vitamin thing.

Have bloodwork done for a baseline on vitamins> If you don't have insurance coverage, even trying to donate blood will give you an idea of where you stand on iron--although just an idea.

I would suggest a sublingual b12 every couple days unless you eat fortified foods on a daily basis.

It is a learning curve on what to eat, and making it easy and delicious and complete.
Lentils are super easy and cheap. I've making this often--
http://almostturkish.blogspot.com/20...k-koftesi.html

it's a cold sandwich with fixings, put in veggie broth and veggies for a quick lentil soup, breaded and sauteed or baked for burgers, seasoned with rice and onionss for mujadarra.

I take a b100 complex. It's super cheap and it makes me feel happier literally. Vitamin B is the happy vitamin. Also from what I understand if your getting to much vitamin b your body will just pee the rest out.

These are top B Complex Vitamins with Quality Rankings.

Country Life Coenzyme B-Complex
Garden Of Life Vitamin Code Vitamin B Complex
Nature's Bounty B-Complex With Folic Acid Plus Vitamin C
MegaFood Balanced B Complex
Solgar Vitamin B-Complex
Nature's Way B-50 Complex
New Chapter Coenzyme B Food Complex
Pure Encapsulations B-Complex Plus
Wellesse B-Complex Complete Liquid
Nature Made Super B Energy Complex

For vegan, the most common health issue is B12 deficiency. Since the main source of this vitamin is animal-based foods one has to take vitamin b12 supplements. There are several B12 supplements are available and it is required to take this vital vitamin. Vitamin B12 has a vast biological role mainly on muscle and CNS. So please take it seriously.

We vegans need to take vitamin B12 supplements, but these supplements are really low-priced. Your local pharmacy (or chemist, in the UK) carries them - some are even fruit-flavored! You can also buy them through Amazon.

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Which supplements you are talking about?

Hi Kate,

In the United States, CVS Pharmacy carries vitamin B12 supplements at low prices: https://www.cvs.com/shop/content/vitamin-b12 . They sell bottles of 200 B12 tablets, 1000 mcg each, for $11.49 per bottle. Based on the vitamin B12 recommendations of the Vegetarian Resource Group (https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.php ), this bottle is enough for 2 years (two 1000 mcg tablets per week).

If you don't have a pharmacy near you, Amazon also sells B12 tablets: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vitamin+b12&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
.

Being vegan does not make people feel weak, but this is a new way of eating for you, so, for a while, you should keep track of what you eat and compute its nutritional content. Maybe even have one consultation with a dietitian. If you have some preexisting condition, it is one more reason to see some health professional about your situation.

B12 deficiency is unlikely the problem this soon, as has been mentioned, and anyhow, a small amount of B12 will go a long way, and staying in B12 balance should not be difficult.
Rather, I would look at your iron intake, esp. since you've felt less than ok for a while. Iron from vegan foods is less readily absorbed, so you need to combine certain foods. For example, have spinach and season it with the juice of a nice fresh half lemon. Or have legumes and, at the same meal, have something high in C such as fresh tomatoes or an orange or berries.
Do ask yourself why you wish to be vegan, because if your reasons are not completely convincing to yourself, you will be easily influenced by those who believe meat is essential to health.
Best wishes.

Someone mentioned B100:
If it is 100% of the RDA of all of the B vitamins, then it is a good thing, for those whose diet contains insufficient amounts of B vits ( though most vegetarians should be getting enough of all the B's with possible B12 exception).
If "B100" just means 100 mg of each B vitamins, as I have seen in some vitamin stores, then don't buy that. No reason why anyone should need 100 mg in particular, for each of the B's--no rationale at all, other than confusing buyers who think they are getting 100% of all the B they need. Oh, and make sure your B complex contains all of the B's, not just a few.
It is actually difficult to find a B vitamin complex that contains all of the 8 Bs and 100% of the recommended daily allowance of each of them. I found one brand and it is unduly expensive.

Thanks for the great suggestion. I will look at it.

As you are new vegetarian, the slight change in diet and lifestyle takes time to be adjusted. You can easily get vitamin B and E for your eyes from any local pharmacy or if you prefer to go online then sportsinside is the best one. Iron rich supplements can be a solution of your unusual tiredness. Exposure to sunlight may be beneficial for your bones and overall health.

Vitamin b12 yeast spreads (I buy Meridian's) are they reliable source of B12 and are they the right form of b12 that the body can use as I am trying to avoid taking supplements anymore.

For calcium I eat tahini and almonds in abundance

For Iron i eat spinach and watercress in abundance

For Zinc (and I think I need to pay more attention to this one) I eat brazil nuts about once a week

For Essential fats I eat linseeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds ad avocadoes

For antioxidants I eat sweet potato, red peppers, broccoli, peas, kiwis, watercress and organic carrots every week

For vitamin C I eat eaps of fruti and veg

For vitamin D i go in the sun 15 minutes a day

For vitamins B I eat nuts, seeds and mushrooms

For protein I actually eat tofu, nuts, seeds, beans, lentil, rice, quinoa and some processed soy meals

For fibre fruti and veg

My biggest fault is not enough carbs I think.

Do your own research! Most seem to believe B12 and D3 if you don't get enough sunlight are the only two really needed if you have a good balanced vegan diet. I personally consider taking those two pretty regularly and taking a multivitamin once or twice a week.

Do your own research! Most seem to believe B12 and D3 if you don't get enough sunlight are the only two really needed if you have a good balanced vegan diet. I personally consider taking those two pretty regularly and taking a multivitamin here once or twice a week.