[SquishyFerret]

Going to try going vegan for a month in April. I was going to attempt to try and get everything as naturally as possible (B12 from yeast instead of supplement, flaxseed etc), but after I read an article on veganhealth about omegas I'm a bit worried so have decided to take a multivitamin with B12 and DHA. But most of the ones I've come across seem to have massive amounts over the RDA of many nutrients. Given that I'm also going to be getting tonnes of nutrients from my natural diet, should I worry about this? Should I just supplement B12 and omegas? Or maybe just take a multivitamin every few days instead?

Gah, I'm so confused, was just wrapping my head round it all and then I came across all this new info.

 

[vegansarawr]

With most vitamins you will just poop and pee out the extras, but there are some where taking too much can cause damage. I know iron can be over dosed on not sure about anything else. Sorry I'm not more help

 

[ElaineV]

Vitamin D is another one that you don't want to overdo. Same for calcium. One multivitamin per day is unlikely to be too much, so I wouldn't worry about that. But if you add that to other supplements then you could be in trouble. Just follow the recommendations on the label and take note of any significant changes in your body. If you notice anything particularly strange, check it out with a doctor.

 

[Carley]

Thank you for asking this; I take

1 multi vitamin (for the b12)
1 magnesium/calcium (I have been having heart palpitations and my dr thinks I'm low on that so I'm trying it out) I always wonder if i take too much

 

[vegansarawr]

I'm acctually glad for this thread I take one multi vitamin, an iron, a calcium/d, and a D. But i only take them every other day. Could I be taking too much?

 

[obankobi]

A, D, E, and K are dangerous to over ingest. They're fat soluble, rather than water, so they aren't peed out, they stick with you. Overtime, too much of them can cause things just as bad as not having enough. Not sure about other minerals, but any metal can be very toxic if too much is taken.

Look at what's in your diet first, you may be getting all you need already, without supplements.

 

[vegansarawr]

Well i know Canadians dont get enough vit D from the sun and eggs are the only food source of the vitamin, being vegan I'm not going to get enough without supplements, maybe i should cut out the d and stick with one calcium/d mix and my multi vit? Sorry Squishy Ferret I kind of took your post over but I just learned about getting too much vit d, so if you hadn't asked it wouldn't have occurred to me.

 

[lucky_charm]

Can you make it up with fortified foods? My cereal and soya milk in the morning covers about 70% of my vit D and 100%+ of my B12. I take a vegan soc multivit every 2-4 days, it contains 1000% of my b12 and I dont want to get too much.

 

[lucky_charm]

Bearing in mind most omnis get their vit D from fortified food (dairy is fortified with vit D) as unless you eat fish every day or are in the sun enough, it would be difficult to get enough from diet (eggs dint really have enough of the daily value to be the only dietary source).

 

[SquishyFerret]

Thanks everyone, you've definitely given me some helpful advice...I think I might just take one every other day and look for one that has less in it, one I came across had a ridiculous amount of vitamin A in it so its good to know I shouldn't get too much. That's what I was worried about, Lucky_charm, some of the amounts in the vits were like 1000% which seems rather a lot. I want to try and rely on natural consumption or fortified foods as much as poss but I think I'll rely on the vits at least until I get used to vegan eating...one less thing to worry about!

I also read you need to take dietary vitamin D in addition to natural vitamin D because you can't always get enough even if you get lots of sun...ah I'm so confused! Think I'm having information overload rather than vitamin overload right now. Course I live in Britain so there's no chance of me overdosing on the sun alone lol.

 

[Doktormartini]

You could always just by supplements for the vitamins/minerals you are worried about not getting enough and not get an entire multivitamin. Some vitamins/minerals are really easy to get and you don't have to worry about.

 

[vegansarawr]

a big part of vitamin d is where in the world you are, the closer you live to the equator the more your getting from the sun

 

[Farmrush]

Vitamin A is not dangerous in the form of b-carotene. It is dangerous in the form of retinyl palmitate. If you are getting your vitamin A from b-carotene, you do not have to be concerned. High exposure to vitamin A from retinyl palmitate has numerous undesirable side effects.

 

[SquishyFerret]

Thanks Farmrush, I ordered some Vegan Society ones which just have a few nutrients in to see how I go with those. I decided yesterday sod it, I can't be bothered waiting for April so my 30 day Vegan Challenge starts today.

I'm off work for three days so seems a sensible time to start.

 

[ashlend]

Personally, I just use a multivitamin, for backup and to make sure I'm getting my B12. I eat an overall healthy and balanced vegan diet, but I don't want to have to work out how much of each individual nutrient I'm getting every day, that would drive me insane. That's what the multi is for.

ETA: Oh and I sometimes make smoothies with flax oil, and sprinkle nutritional yeast on my food. I guess those are supplements