Vitamins and supplements

[gentilerain]

I [27, m] want to make sure I’m gaining maximum benefit from the vitamins/ supplements I’m taking.

Daily, I take:

VEG 1 https://www.veganstore.co.uk/produc...EZQG3dOaCWHz9F6dBWCxXYWPLMx8UlzBoClToQAvD_BwE

Omega-3 Vegan Omega 3 Algae Oil & Astaxanthin, 1344mg Omega 3, 180 Softgels, EPA & DHA 600mg Omega 3 Fatty Acids Supplements, Pure & Sustainable Algae Oil Omega-3, 90 Servings, by Igennus https://amzn.eu/d/aMFZ19x

Iron Iron Supplement, 180 Vegan Capsules with Vitamin C, B12 & Folic Acid, for Men and Women - Iron Capsules not Iron Tablets, 6 Month Supply - from Ferrous Fumarate - Made in The UK https://amzn.eu/d/e5rXFnV

Calcium Calcium Tablets High Strength -180 Tablets for 3 Months - 2028mg Calcium Carbonate per Daily Dose -Organic and Vegan Food Supplement Without Additives https://amzn.eu/d/34T3ZJu

What are the foods to avoid taking any of these with? Should I stagger them throughout the day? Will any of these interact with each other making them less effective? What are the vitamins/ supplements you take?

Thanks I’m advance for any help!

 

[tkm]

@gentilerain Get a blood test and only take supplements that you are deficient in. I have been vegan since 1984 and take zero supplements.

I eat a well balanced diet, that includes soy milk and nutritional yeast that are fortified with B12, so I don't even take that. I get a blood test every 6 months because I'm running ultramarathons currently, and I've never had a vitamin deficiency, other than low sodium from sweating so much

 

[613jono]

@tkm

Get a blood test and only take supplements that you are deficient in. I have been vegan since 1984 and take zero supplements.

You can't test for everything.

 

[tkm]

@613jono You can test for everything that OP is taking currently. What is your point? What would you take that cannot be tested for specifically?

 

[613jono]

@tkm

• Iodine can't be tested for
• Omega 3 blood levels can be tested but the test is expensive and can't be done by regular medical institutions.

 

[tkm]

@613jono Hence the well balanced diet. If OP is worried, cronometer is a great resource for tracking particular nutrients to make sure you don't miss anything.

 

[forwhatitsworth]

@gentilerain I take an Omega, B12 and a multi that is made from plants. In winter take Vit D because it’s dark a lot where I live.

I’m on the fence about the multi as I’ve read conflicting reports on the benefits. I eat mostly whole food and I try buy my fruit and veg from the farmer’s market from small farms. The other day o got cucumbers. I’d forgotten cucumbers had a flavor! I try get something different each week and occasionally try something I’ve never had before.

 

[613jono]

@gentilerain For the best info on supplements and vegan nutrition, go to veganhealth.org . They provide evidence based recommendations without the bias that a plant-based diet is magic.

VEG 1 https://www.veganstore.co.uk/produc...EZQG3dOaCWHz9F6dBWCxXYWPLMx8UlzBoClToQAvD_BwE

Decent multi, but would ideally have Zinc, which is very important for males. I recommend the multivitamins from DEVA w/ iron if you can get them (Greens, Prenatal, or Tuba Prime).

Omega-3 Vegan Omega 3 Algae Oil & Astaxanthin, 1344mg Omega 3, 180 Softgels, EPA & DHA 600mg Omega 3 Fatty Acids Supplements, Pure & Sustainable Algae Oil Omega-3, 90 Servings, by Igennus https://amzn.eu/d/aMFZ19x

I use algae DHA (no EPA). The cheapest brand I have found is naturelo, but they are all of similar quality.

Iron Iron Supplement, 180 Vegan Capsules with Vitamin C, B12 & Folic Acid, for Men and Women - Iron Capsules not Iron Tablets, 6 Month Supply - from Ferrous Fumarate - Made in The UK https://amzn.eu/d/e5rXFnV

Unless you have had problems with iron levels, I would not use a specific iron supplement. Women need more iron, since they menstruate.

Calcium Calcium Tablets High Strength -180 Tablets for 3 Months - 2028mg Calcium Carbonate per Daily Dose -Organic and Vegan Food Supplement Without Additives https://amzn.eu/d/34T3ZJu

Excess Calcium inhibits iron absorption. Therefore, the best calcium sources are cooked greens and calcium processed soyfoods.

 

[katie4469]

@gentilerain Do you have any deficiencies? If not, I would not recommend taking all of those.

 

[preston354]

@gentilerain I just take the veg 1 and try to eat a variety of fruits and veg. I haven’t really had any blood work or baseline testing done but I feel great.

6 months of taking Veg1 as my only vegan supplement

 

[toomanytroubles]

@gentilerain Oh friend, your post almost hurts me You are wasting so much money, and not even getting the health benefits you actually need.

Here's what I know. You only really need B12 and D3. It is uncertain whether we need fish/algea oil, but some proper studies suggest we need some. so you could choose to take 250mg EPA/DHA a day as a precaution. You certainly don't need 600mg either way.

As for D3, your tablet is fine, although all the rest in it is unnecessary. You want 10-30ug a day, depending on time of year and amount of sun exposure. Just remember that D vitamins are fat-soluable, so make sure to take with them alongside a meal that contains fats.

For B12 your supplements don't suffice. We only take in a very small percentage of the B12 at a time, so the way to make sure you get enough, is actually to take a 1000ug pill twice a week. Furthermore, B12 is fickle, so make sure your B12 comes from cyanocobalamin, and not methylcobalamin. Methyl may be as good, but only cyano has been studied enough to know for sure. Furthermore again, make sure its a tablet that is designed to dissolve slowly under your tongue, and not a chewing/swallow tablet.

Now all of this is with the assumption that your diet is reasonably varied. Of course if you get no clacium from your diet, you'll need to supplement it, and the same goes for the rest. But a healthy, varied vegan diet should have everything you need, except what I listed.

There are also more and more studies that show, that supplementing vitamins isn't even effective, and can even have negative health outcomes. This only further advocates for getting your micronutrients from actual food, as much as possible.