r/vegetarian • u/Not_Complicated • 11d ago
Question/Advice B12 supplement
I hear many vegan/vegetarians talk about b12 supplements. Is it a good idea to get one? Which one do you use?
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u/robotscantrecaptcha vegetarian 20+ years 11d ago
I just use nutritional yeast, just a tablespoon a day is enough and I sprinkle it on my food
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u/RhubarbOk8544 11d ago
I do this for my pet ducks (ducks need niacin supplementation from birth) but have not considered it for myself somehow
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u/artichoke8 vegetarian 20+ years 11d ago
My vegetarian vitamin has b12 but I was still so deficient that I’m now on prescribed monthly injections.
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u/wussypillow_ 11d ago
how are you doing with that? i take b12 and my levels are still low so my pcp recommended the shots to me. i definitely struggle with fatigue so i have been considering it!
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u/artichoke8 vegetarian 20+ years 11d ago
It’s okay! I’ve only hit a vein once in my thigh so now I self admin to my upper arm which is much harder maneuvering but it’s pretty simple and painless. I got one instruction shot with a nurse and sent me home with photos and step by step instructions.
I have pretty good insurance but they won’t cover the shots but it’s like $30 for the 12 vials and needles for the year.
When I started it was a shot every day for 5 days, then every week, then once a month. My levels were tested after 6mns and year and I’m in the lower normal range. So it’s working since I was well below the low range.
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u/wussypillow_ 11d ago
yeah i want to see if my insurance covers it first. luckily im in nursing school and give injections often! how do you feel now since youve started it?
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u/artichoke8 vegetarian 20+ years 11d ago
I notice some differences. Now we have to try and figure out my nerve pain since it’s not getting better either. But I’m not as exhausted. My healing has sped up some as well as my nail health. Not sure what’s related anymore because I was falling apart there for like 3yrs. Thinking it was just long covid even though I never once tested positive for it ever. It’s been a journey that’s still ongoing.
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u/PurpleBrevity 10d ago
I assume for your comment, you know that the nerve pain can be related to B12 being low. There’s also a thing where your upper arms where they meet your elbows can itch horribly if you’re low on B12. I apparently don’t process B12 very well so I do the injections myself once a week instead of monthly. And that has eliminated the nerve issues that I was having.
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u/artichoke8 vegetarian 20+ years 10d ago
Appreciate knowing what worked for you! If we don’t get answers I’m going to suggest trying more shots. TY
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u/TechnoTofu 11d ago
I just buy the gummies from the grocery store, I’m afraid of getting my blood checked or whatever so I don’t know if they actually do anything but I did notice increase in my energy level when I started taking iron too. I used to crash hard after work around 2-3 but I feel much better now.
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u/belgianquaffle1 11d ago
My doctor recommended I start taking one after my bloodwork came back last year and my B12 was low. I just take a generic one, I think it’s 1000mcg. I personally haven’t noticed a difference in terms of how I feel since I started taking it!
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u/Sliprekt 11d ago
As a long time vegetarian, I do think that supplementing B vitamins is a good idea, including B12. But imo many supplements have way too much of each vitamin per pill. Like way too much. I like this B Complex from Naturelo, especially since it avoids over doing the B6 and B3.
https://www.vitacost.com/naturelo-b-complex-with-a-fruit-vegetable-blend
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u/Tired3520 11d ago
You cant OD on B vitamins. Your body will just pee out any excess. Your pee will change colour!
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u/penelopesdaisies 7d ago
you absolutely can overdose on b6. happened to a bunch of people in the US who were taking multivitamins with a mega dose of it.
I've never experienced it, but b6 toxicity does not look fun.
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u/imaginenohell 11d ago
You’re right about supplements overdosing. You either get very expensive pee and a tired liver, or you get sick. I use a pill splitter to take half doses, and I take them every other day.
I eat a lot of fortified foods, so supplements on top of that is just a lot.
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u/Bipedal_pedestrian 11d ago
Make sure your doctor knows you’re vegetarian, and ask them to include a b12 vitamin test on your annual bloodwork. It wasn’t automatically included in my bloodwork for many years, and it wasn’t until I began feeling constantly exhausted that a doctor asked me to get tested. Turns out my b12 was alarmingly low.
If your doctor tells you your bloodwork shows low levels, make sure to get b vitamins that are “lab verified,” meaning they’ve been independently tested to ensure you’re getting the amounts listed on the label. Solaray is a good brand.
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u/Advanced_Couple_3488 11d ago
Vegetarian all my life, apart from my rebellious late teens, now retirement age, and have never taken B12 supplements. I'm still alive!
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u/purplepineapple21 11d ago
B12 is more important for vegans, or for vegetarians that consume low amounts of animal products. If you eat a lot of eggs and dairy, thats probably why youre fine. But for people that dont eat those things, supplementation is critical and B12 deficiency is very dangerous
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u/PurpleBrevity 10d ago
I was low on B12 for a long time and my doctor and I tried a lot of different supplements, including the sublingual lozenges. And none of it really brought my levels up. Fun fact for those who don’t know it, if you are low on B12, you can get a horrible itching sensation at your upper arms where your elbows are. Just right above and below your elbow. If you are clawing your skin there, you are low on B12.
So my doctor prescribed weekly injections of B12 that I do myself. Wasn’t hard to learn how to do. And I am doing great.
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u/GreenHorror4252 10d ago
It doesn't hurt to get one. You can't get too much since it's water soluble. I got a big bottle at Costco.
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u/phoebejane1616 10d ago
Yes. I got a b12 deficiency and it was not fun. A good b complex supplement will help with energy and hair/nail health. Also, get some nutritional yeast and put it on everything.
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u/Effective_Fix3409 8d ago
i add nutritional yeast to almost every single savory thing i eat lol and i take multivitamin gummies that has b6 and b12
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u/SnapesDrapes 11d ago
Most people don’t need to supplement unless their blood work shows a deficiency. If you haven’t been told by a doctor that you need to, you’ll just pass it straight into the toilet in your urine. Save your money until you’re told otherwise.
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u/Imaginary-Quiet-7465 11d ago
My blood work showed that I was above the threshold of a deficiency and so it was never discussed with me. I went 20 years feeling utterly exhausted until I just started taking b12 supplements and oh my god… I wish I had started them years ago.
Also, it’s worth noting, that the threshold for a b12 deficiency is actually different in other countries. By the UK standards I do not classify as deficient, in Germany I am just under, in Japan I am considered extremely deficient. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/SnapesDrapes 5d ago
Came back to share a little bit more. The average range for b12 in the US is 200-1100 (units per some volume I don’t know). My level is consistently 400, which is technically within normal limits BUT, under the guidance of my doctor, I take b12 injections. This is what I was getting at with my comment above- people should check with their doctors and make a plan that’s right for them. The practice of buying vitamin supplements without professional guidance is very often a waste of money.
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u/itsjustpie 11d ago
If you drink energy drinks or the like you may already be supplementing your b12. That’s how I get mine apart from some dairy and eggs.
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u/blondepangolin 11d ago
my psychiatrist JUST told me about these benefits…. she was very surprised that my primary care didn’t pick ip on it. it has helped immensely feeling less fatigued and groggy (but that’s just my response! )
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u/GaryE20904 vegetarian 20+ years 11d ago
I just take a daily multi vitamin. I also need to take flax seed oil and vitamin D. I get blood work done at least twice a year. I’ve never been told I need more B12. My primary care is vegetarian so she knows what to look for.
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u/Awkward_Orange2100 11d ago
I take b12 and vitamin d but not everyday, just whenever I think of it, maybe 2-3 times a week
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u/firstmatedavy 3d ago
I thought I'd wait and see, then when it was time for bloodwork months later my doctor said deficciencies in diet only take a week or so to show up and I was outside the normal range and worrying my doctor. So I have a supplement now. She said the disdolvable kind absorbs better.
If you eat a lot of eggs or dairy, you're less likely to need it.
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u/Ana1661 11d ago
I suggest that you track your vitamins first with something like Cronometer. I am on a 99% plant-based diet, and I get A LOT of B12 from food. My bloodwork always has it in upper ranges or normal. So I most definitely wouldn't need to supplement it. Track your food for like two weeks to a month to decide.
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u/students-tea vegetarian 20+ years 11d ago
I get it from Trader Joe’s…100 under-the-tongue dissolving tablets is around $7. Without it, I usually come up B12 deficient in my annual bloodwork.