Meeting nutrient goals, need some advice

[Satchitananda]

Hello,
The past week I have been transitioning to going vegan from a heavily vegetarian diet. It has made me pay attention to certain minerals and vitamins, predominantly: calcium, zinc, selenium, iron, iodide, B12, vit A and vit D. From doing this I realize that maybe ever with dairy I wasn't meeting all my goals without a multivitamin. With the use of some substitute milk and dulce algae flakes I think I can get all my goals except for B12, vit D and zinc. I ordered a vegan multivitamin that just has B12, vit D and omega 3's, but now I am thinking I probably need something for Zinc. Should I just be taking a whole multivitamin? Or just add in a Zinc only vitamin? Doesn't seem like from whole foods alone I can meet the recommended zinc requirements. Thanks in advance.
Om shanti shanti shanti.
Ian

 

[Second Summer]

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical about the "full" multivitamins because some vitamins and minerals have been shown to interact and inhibit absorption - e.g. it's not recommended to take iron and calcium together, or large doses of vitamin C with B12. Although, vitamin C helps iron absorption. So a small multivitamin and a separate vitamin (well, mineral) which you can take at different meals or times of day sound ideal.

 

[Lou]

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical about the "full" multivitamins because some vitamins and minerals have been shown to interact and inhibit absorption - e.g. it's not recommended to take iron and calcium together, or large doses of vitamin C with B12. Although, vitamin C helps iron absorption. So a small multivitamin and a separate vitamin (well, mineral) which you can take at different meals or times of day sound ideal.

most multis don't have much calcium, anyway. it's too bulky. And must multis don't contain enough B12 either.

 

[Satchitananda]

Thanks for the insight. I compiled a big data sheet on excel with all the foods I typically eat and their quantity of nutrients of the ones that I have read can be especially lacking in a vegan diet. From that I think I should be fine with the Future Kind vegan multi that has Vit D3, B12, and DHA/EPA along wit a small zinc supplement (15 mg). Then by using Dulse flakes I can get iodine and brazil nuts I can get my selenium and should be covered. I figure I may still take the multi vitamin I have now once a week just to cover for other things that maybe I am not accounting for like chromium and molybenum and things like that.

 

[silva]

Thanks for the insight. I compiled a big data sheet on excel with all the foods I typically eat and their quantity of nutrients of the ones that I have read can be especially lacking in a vegan diet. From that I think I should be fine with the Future Kind vegan multi that has Vit D3, B12, and DHA/EPA along wit a small zinc supplement (15 mg). Then by using Dulse flakes I can get iodine and brazil nuts I can get my selenium and should be covered. I figure I may still take the multi vitamin I have now once a week just to cover for other things that maybe I am not accounting for like chromium and molybenum and things like that.

Check out Dr Gregers daily dozen for the easiest way to see a days nutrition

Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist

nutritionfacts.org

 

[Lou]

Thanks for the insight. I compiled a big data sheet on excel with all the foods I typically eat and their quantity of nutrients of the ones that I have read can be especially lacking in a vegan diet. From that I think I should be fine with the Future Kind vegan multi that has Vit D3, B12, and DHA/EPA along wit a small zinc supplement (15 mg). Then by using Dulse flakes I can get iodine and brazil nuts I can get my selenium and should be covered. I figure I may still take the multi vitamin I have now once a week just to cover for other things that maybe I am not accounting for like chromium and molybenum and things like that.

Have you ever used CronOmeter? Way better than making a SS. It does everything but the input. There is a subscription version - but you probably don't need it - so it's free.
BTW I am an expert on CronOmeter, if you have any questions, shoot me a PM.

Also, keep in mind a few other details.

B12 has an absorbability issue. You can only absorb about 25 to 33% of the RDA per meal. After that first bit the absorbability goes down to about 1%. so you either take some B12 at every meal or you have to take 1000% every day.

Our bodies produce Vitamin D when you go outdoors. If you don't go outdoors then you probably need to supplement it. You can take a vegan D supplement or just rely on fortified foods. Most vegan multis have a good amount of D.

The amount of iodine in our vegetables is very variable. The USDA doesn't even try. but if your veggies come from the coast they will have lots of iodine. Not sure about your veggies, but my veggies and berries all come from coastal farms.

the salt in prepared foods and from restaurants don't use iodized salt. so if you use salt at home you should use iodized. Also, almost all multis contain 100% of the RDA of iodine.

You could probably even skip the Omega 3 supplement if you can be sure to have some flaxseed (or hemp or chia) every day. I add a tbsp of flaxseed to my breakfast. Then I supplement with EPA/DHA just to make sure.

A lot of the nutrition issues you are talking about I solve with plant milks. Most plant milks are fortified with B12, D, Calcium, and iron.

If you are looking for a good minimalist vegan vitamin check out DEVA Tiny Tablets.

Cronometer: Eat smarter. Live better.

 

[Satchitananda]

Hi,
Wow Conometer is pretty cool. I've been logging my food for a while with fitbit but that just follows macros. I put a lot of time into my db and probably didn't need to cause crono - although now that my personal database is complete it is a lot faster to input the intake. In regards to the omegas, I eat a lot of hemp, chia and flax everyday, but plant is all ALA, so getting DHA and EPA from algae sources for a vego I think is important.

 

[Lou]

In regards to the omegas, I eat a lot of hemp, chia and flax everyday, but plant is all ALA, so getting DHA and EPA from algae sources for a vego I think is important.

It might be. The jury isn't in yet. I've seen dieticians weigh in on both sides of the issue.

Supposedly our bodies can convert ALA to DHA and EPA. but the conversion process is slow and may decrease as we age. So I do take a DHA/EPA, too.

 

[silva]

It might be. The jury isn't in yet. I've seen dieticians weigh in on both sides of the issue.

Supposedly our bodies can convert ALA to DHA and EPA. but the conversion process is slow and may decrease as we age. So I do take a DHA/EPA, too.

Long before I heard of Dr Greger I tried algae DHA and it was an amazing difference! I'd never been a fish eater, or anything from the sea, and after a few weeks of DHA discovered I had more focus, more direction, a clearer attention. I'm pretty much a classic ADD! Of course I quite after that bottle, and found that yes, it was the algea caps that did it! I've been buying different brands based on price, since the source is the same for all (says Dr Greger and other places)
This once I'm taking now though has never given me any burps- I alwasy take on an empty stomach to prevent those . I take one a day.

Amazon.com: Pure & Essential Vegan Omega 3, 600mg DHA EPA, Pure & Sustainable Algae Oil Plus Astaxanthin, Heart, Brain & Eye Health, 60 Small Softgels : Health & Household

Buy Pure & Essential Vegan Omega 3, 600mg DHA EPA, Pure & Sustainable Algae Oil Plus Astaxanthin, Heart, Brain & Eye Health, 60 Small Softgels on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

 

[Satchitananda]

Yeah, I am a firm believer in EPA/DHA supplements. I am awaiting Future Kind vegan multivitamin that just has vit D, B12 and DHA/EPA, but will look into those.

I've been exploring cronometer more today. It is excellent! Will definitely be using this moving forward. Offers so much more data than my fit bit app did for logging my foods. My background is medicine (have a veterinary medicine degree) so I am very into nutrition and crunching as much data as I can to balance my diet. Thanks for this tool!!!!

Om shanti shanti shanti.

 

[Lou]

I considered Future Kind and another one that was similar. I think it was only the cost that held me back.

I can imagine a few ways for you have done your spreadsheet. most of them are beyond my SS abilities.
but if you grouped the items into meals or dishes, it might be very easy to transfer to CronOmeter. Check out the "Custom Recipes" in the "food" menu. Here you can group everything into a meal or a "dish". Then it is just a click or two to add it to a "day".

You'll still have to add the ingredients one-by-one. but just once.

There used to be a great little video tutorial on CronOmeter. But after the last update, they removed it. However, they have a very easy to use and comprehensive user manual in the "help" section.

I take Zen Wise Vegan Omega 3. I only take one cap a day- but now that I'm looking at the cost - those Future Kinds look like a good deal.

 

[Thundergleep]

I take B12 and D3 supplements, and sometimes omega 3, but mostly I try to get everything from food. The Daily Dozen app helps you keep a balance to your eating habits, but you also might want to take it a step further and use chronometer for a while until you develop habits.

Some tricks I do to "sneak in" nutrients includes:

--Kelp Powder for iodine
A largely overlooked vegan requirement that (when inefficient) can cause hair loss. A teaspoon of Kelp Powder has enough iodine to last the whole month! Add it to soups or smoothies.

--Flax, Chia, and Hemp seeds for Omega 3s
Grind your own to avoid intestinal upset. Add to oatmeal, smoothie, and baked goods.

--Lentils, Nuts, and Seeds for Zinc
Make your own salad dressing with cashews, and add nuts and hemp seeds to oatmeal (always!). Make lentils or chickpeas at least 2-3x a week.

--Tofu/Tempeh and Kale for Calcium
Tofu is my life. Tofu scramble, pan fried tofu, air fried tofu. It's just great. Tempeh is great for sandwiches or roasted with potatoes and other veggies. I eat tofu/tempeh 2-3 says a week.
Add kale to everything. Steam it for a few minutes and it loses the bitterness without losing much nutrition. It's great in soups, tacos, budda bowls, etc. Ideally I eat about 2 heads of kale a week.