Advice for supplaments?

Abbie Louise Roberts said:

Hi All,

I am making the switch at the moment and have cut out all meat and fish, but am still eating eggs for the moment.

I was hoping someone could tell me what a good iron/b12 supplement might be?

Would Feroglobin be a good one? It looks good as it contains iron, b12 and other things that might be harder to get now. It contains 400% of daily b12? As well as a lot of folic acid?

I have bought plenty of beans, lentils, quinoa etc but i know b12 should still be supplemented?

Thank you!!

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Hi Abbie,

Beans, lentils, and other legumes are good sources of iron. Also, you can improve your body's absorption of iron by consuming some vitamin C-rich food with your meals. The Vegetarian Resource Group has published a good article on this topic: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php

Folic acid should not be a problem with a properly-planned vegetarian diet. Folic acid-rich foods include legumes, citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables. Here is more information, from the U.S. National Institutes of Health: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

It's important to take a vitamin B12 supplement - I've been taking one for 25 years. Your local pharmacy should have B12 tablets at low prices (look for generic brands) . Buy a bottle of 1000 mcg, 1500 mcg, or 2000 mcg cyanocobalamin (check the label) B12 tablets, and take 2 of these per week. There are even cherry-flavored B12 tablets, if you don't like swallowing pills. Here is more information, from the Vegetarian Resource Group: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.php

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In addition to B12, vitamin D is something many people fall short on, vegan or otherwise. Getting enough from the sun is not very common, and even when possible, there are sun exposure risks. To be clear, this has nothing to do with a veg*n diet, because omnis are just as likely to fall short on D. If you decide to supplement with D, there are some issues regarding the exact formulation. Most vegans supplement with D2, which is typically plant-based, but there are questions about the efficiency of its absorption by the human body. Fortunately, if you want to supplement with the more noncontroversial D3 formulation, it's no longer limited to animal-derived form. There are now plant-derived D3 supplements available.

Iron has already been mentioned. Omnis tend to get it from meat in the more usable heme form, but vegans (and vegetarians) can get it in things like legumes, as has already been mentioned. Tempeh is one of the best vegan sources of naturally-occurring iron. I'm a vegetarian who eats vegan almost all of the time, and just to be safe, I take a high-quality iron pill, Solgar brand, once a week. (Incidentally, I'm male, and my weekly iron supplementation is probably unnecessary and just in case, but reproductive-age females who are vegan may be more likely to benefit from supplementation.)

Iodine is another nutrient that vegans tend to be low on. Many omnis and vegetarians get it in dairy products, not because it's naturally-occurring in cow milk in large quantities, but because the cleaning equipment and solutions used on commercial dairy farms on cow teats contain iodine, which often gets transferred to milk (and thus cheese). However, in the United States, table salt is commonly supplemented with iodine, so if you're in the U.S. and frequently use table salt, you'd get some that way. For this reason, as I recall there are studies showing that vegans outside of the U.S. are lower in iodine than those in the U.S. In any event, some vegans supplement with iodine once or twice a week.

Then there is vitamin A. Omnis and vegetarians can get it in retinol form from eggs, dairy, and some organ meats, like liver. Some vegans get retinol through fortification, because commercial plant milks are often fortified with it. However, in addition to retinol, vitamin A is also obtainable through its precursor beta-carotene, which is contained in some vegetables, like carrots and spinach, among others. Personally, I don't eat enough veggies to get sufficient beta-carotene that way. However, rather than supplementing with a pill (which would be another option), I drink small amounts of carrot juice, which contains loads of beta-carotene. Vitamin A deficiency could lead to night blindness or other vision problems.

Iron should only be supplemented if necessary, iron is fat soluble and the symptoms of too much iron are similiar to not enough. Iron levels are part of most routine bloodwork covered by ins. It's also easy to find out when you give blood as checking your iron level is done prior to donating. The Red Cross does require higher levels than what your doctor would flag as low, but they do tell you the number and you can decide if a supplement is needed
I was consistently on the lower end eating meat. When I went vegan I became so aware of this that I kept caffeine and other foods that interfere with iron away from iron foods and added vitamin c. I always use a cast iron skillet - the best thing ever- and have tested in the middle range ever since. I donate blood about 3 times a year. I'm also in menopause but I wasn't when I first went vegan

Iodine is a necessary mineral. If you eat sea vegetables you're covered, but so will the common iodized salt. I used to keep sea salt on hand but have switched to iodized salt. One half teaspoon of iodized salt fills the daily requirment, which I probably come close to and have no problem with, but seaweed and kelp also have iodine.
I do love those roasted seaweed snacks but can't find nutritional info on them. I don't know if they have iodine or not

Vitamin A. That's why I keep trying to like sweet potatoes! I totally gave up on winter squash, hate it hate it hate it. I like carrots which are also quite high and am glad for the reminder. Greens are good, but not good enough

Of course I take B12. I avoid ones with folic acid-the manmade version of the naturally occurring B9. Theres controversy on side effects and apparently some people don't metabolize folic acid. I take a methylated folate and B12 by Jarrow
I'd love opinions on this.

I don't call myself vegan anymore mostly for vitamin D. I had such crippling pain in my feet, bone pain, and doctor visits called it arthritis. When I finally discovered D isn't part of routine bloodwork I requested it--I was really really low. I had been taking Deva calcium with a daily RDA of vegan vitamin D2. I started on high doses of regular D and was able to walk normally again. I realize there is vegan vitamin D3 but I'm not only scared to try but financially it's expensive

Omega DHA. People should be able to formulate DHA from balancing intake of the fats from Omega 3 and omega 6 (and something about omega 9's). It shoud be around 4 to 1. Omega 6 is largely in processed oils, so use sparingly. Ground flaxseeds are highest in omega 3's and adding a tablespoon or two to cereals, smoothies, soups etc is your best bet. I keep flaxseeds in my freezer and grind small amounts weekly in a cheap coffee grinder. I have again started taking algae DHA pills. Chia is also high in omega 3, as well as walnuts which I love
More foods are coming out with algae dha - spaghetti sauces, non dairy milks, ...

Vitamin E. I don't have much to say but I got a bag of raw wheat germ I add along with flaxseeds. Wheat germ is high in thiamine, vitamin E, potassium as well as iron phosphorous, magnesium, calcium and zinc as well as omega 3's. Almonds are good for E

Here's a quick reference for vegan food sources of vitamins and minerals:
http://gentleworld.org/vegan-sources-of-vitamins-minerals/