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B-12 & Supplementation
Started
by Sarah Smith
on December 6, 2012
Hi Kind-Lifers!
I have a few questions on B-12 supplementation. I am vegan and I have been
taking a B-Complex vitamin that I purchased from Trader Joe's for a while now
(this one: http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-B-100-50tablets/dp/B004TTYYSC ).
These questions may seem a bit silly but I figured that it is best to throw them
out there in hopes of getting a clear answer rather than worry needlessly.
My questions are:
A) Is it dangerous to take such high doses of B-vitamins and riboflavin, folic
acid, biotic, pantothenic acid, and the like (as are in the Trader Joe's
supplement)? I have read that you can overdose on these and I just don't want
to over-do it. I eat a well-balanced vegan diet with plenty of nutritional
yeast and fortified non-dairy milks.
My second question is: do you recommend taking just a B-12 supplement (without
the other B vitamins)? If so, is there a specific amount that you recommend
taking on a daily basis and/or a brand that you recommend?
On a similar note, do you think there is any risk of overdoing it on any
vitamins or minerals in a vegan diet? It seems as if everything is fortified
with vitamins and minerals today (cereals, non-dairy milks, etc.). Sometimes I
get worried that consuming fortified foods, along with vitamins and supplements
on top of a well-balnced vegan diet (which is general pretty nutrient dense to
begin with), will lead to a vitamin overload. Is this a silly thing to be
concerned about?
On the flip side sometimes I wonder if I'm not getting everything I need
nutrient-wise.
Maybe I think too much about these things but I am genuinely curious to hear
everyone's thoughts.
Thanks!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
I read up on this through Dr T Colin Campbell as he runs a plant based nutrition certificate course. Anyhow, the cover this a bit in that course and in general if you are eating a well-balanced whole foods plant based diet then you should be fine. The only vitamins that a vegan diet can’t provide is B12 and Vit D. They cover at length the fact that nothing can replace the benefits of the whole food and apparently you can take too much of certain vitamins when taken in isolation. They weren't that big a fan of fortified foods either.
I wasn’t taking a B12 as I thought my levels were fine but then during this course they explained that you should have an MMA test along with your B12 levels when you get your blood tested as otherwise the results aren’t really reliable. That made me wonder if I was okay as I had been a very light meat eater before going vegan and I had been vegan for almost a year, so I started taking B12 (Deva sublingual) and I really noticed a difference ... it's a pretty important one to take too.
Apart from that I don’t really take anything unless I am feeling a bit run down and my diet hasn't been so good and need a boost and then I take a vegan multi (Dr Fuhrman’s).
I do plan on getting a blood test once a year to check on my iron etc, just to see if I’m on track.
Anyhow that's what I do, hope that helps a bit.
Kirsty
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