vegan multivitamin (s)

[DoveInGreyClothing]

Ye Anyone know why they are so darn expensive compared to the non-vegan vitamins?
Gelatin etc are by products and are sold really cheap, the meat indusstry practically gives them away.
Vegan vits are a specialist product, because there is little demand, the manufacturers stick on a hefty price tag, ditto meat substitutes etc. As more people go vegan the prices should theoretically become more competitive.

[zoxed]

Hi,

I hope I have chosen the correct forum but I am trying to track down a product that I could not find through Google etc.

I am looking for vegan, chewable, multi-vitamin pills, suitable for adults.

I can find vegan pills, chewable non-vegan pills for children etc, but none with all the 4 above qualities.

TIA for any pointers, Simon

[tails4wagging]

Solgar products are suitable for vegans, they supply all sorts of vits, etc,. May have a website, worth a look. :)

[zoxed]

Solgar products are suitable for vegans, they supply all sorts of vits, etc,. May have a website, worth a look. :)

Thanks; yes they do have a website (www.solgar.com :-) but unfortunatly no chewable, multi-vitamins :-(

Simon

[veggie666]

HI,

I am new here - so hi to everyone - I have been reading all the posts and this seems to be a great forum!

Does anyone know a UK based company that I can buy VEGAN multi viatmins with iron from?

I have been buying so called 'vegetarian' ones from a mail order company only to do my research and found that the vitamin D they contain is vitamin d3 instead of the plant based vitamin d2. Vitamin D3 is derived form cattle brains or sheeps wool, apparently the vitamin company think its ok for vegetarians to have these animals by-products in theor multi vitamins when infact it is not! I have taken this matter further and now in discussion with the trading standards office.
Apart from wanting to know of a company who produces vegan vitamins I would love your thoughts and advice on this matter as I am to compile a letter to the vitamin company shortly.

Kind Regards,

Veggie.

[GloomCookie]

Hmmm. I guess, in my eyes, sheep's wool is OK for veggies because they wear wool. Brain, on the other hand, is not.

Ref the multivits, have you googled it? I get mine from Fresh & Wild but I can't remember what they're called!

[Pob]

Tesco do one in a little blue lidded pot.

It says "Multivitamins" in black, then under that "For vegetarians + vegans" in red.

Has 250% RDA B12, 100% RDA iron, 25% RDA calcium, 100% RDA zinc, plus all the usual vitamins.

[Mr Flibble]

Holland and Barratt sell 2 types of vegan multivitamins

[Michael Benis]

You can also get a vitmain directly from the Vegan Society which isn't a full multivitamin, but covers everything you need as a vegan assuming you are eating a good balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Has good amounts of B12, other Bs, iodine, D and selenium.

hth

Michael

PS You can also buy it online.

[Lily]

Hi veggie666!

I get Seven Seas Multi Vitamins Plus Minerals for Vegetarians and Vegans. They're quite easy to find, I got my latest tub in Holland & Barrett but I've also got them in my local chemist before, or Tesco. They are registered with The Vegan Society. I expect the Tesco ones Rob(QG) mentioned would be cheaper though, I'll look for those myself next time.

[xwitchymagicx]

I do...erm

http://www.veganstore.co.uk/multi_vit.html

[Pob]

Hmmm - looks like Tesco are going to stop doing them. I bought 6 tubs of 30 for 49p each - reduced to clear. The Seven Seas version next to them with identical ingredients and %RDAs was over £6 for 60 - more than 6 times the current price :eek:

[Lily]

Best I get to Tesco tomorrow then, hope I'm not too late. Thanks for that info.

[cedarblue]

i have a problem swallowing BIIIG tablets, are any of the above suggestions suitable for woossies to be able to swallow??

i often find the bottles are dark and i cant see the tab size inside, only to pay out money for them and theyre the size of tab an elephant might stuggle with!!

[twinkle]

i have a problem swallowing BIIIG tablets, are any of the above suggestions suitable for woossies to be able to swallow??

i often find the bottles are dark and i cant see the tab size inside, only to pay out money for them and theyre the size of tab an elephant might stuggle with!!

The Vegan Society ones are chewable. They don't taste great, but I've found that you get used to the taste after a while, and given that B12 is apparently absorbed better if you chew it this seems more acceptable than attempting to chew a normal multivitamin :)

[Lily]

You don't have to chew the Seven Seas ones, and they have rounded ends so they go down easily.

[Pilaf]

I've been Vegan for over a year now, just barely..I know I'm a lot healthier in a lot of ways, but I suspect I may be deficient in one or more vitamins. Mostly, I feel I haven't been getting adequate Vitamin D, Iron or my B Vitamins. I've been suffering from symptoms of low blood, such as being overly cold in mild weather, as well as a loss of color and low energy levels. I still feel strong, but I get muscle spasms and I need more sleep than I used to.

I feel this could be easily corrected with a good vegan multivitamin. I need some advice and links on a good, trustworthy one which I can order online, that ships in the U.S. Ideally, I'd like to strike a balance between price and quality. I feel this is an important question to me. I feel like my health is suffering a bit, and it's not as optimum as I'd like it to be. If this has been asked before, someone answer me via IM. I don't want to go to a "doctor" because they'd just scoff at my "diet".

[bazbegin]

:) I'm very happy with this place:

http://www.veganessentials.com/

Get all my shoes and chocolate from them too.(packaged separately)

Not sure which multi-vitamin brand is best so I always alternate a bit.

I hope something in the vitamins helps you but maybe there's some wonderful food out there that could help more? or some crappy food you could eliminate?

[Geoff]

I don't want to go to a "doctor" because they'd just scoff at my "diet".

I've interacted with dozens of doctors over the years and not one of them has scoffed at my diet or criticised it in any way. :)

[Morna]

If you need suppliments, by all means take them, but some of the vitamins you think you are missing you can get in other ways. I use fortified ricemilk for B12 and calcium. Nutritional yeast is a great source of B vitamins, and you can get iron by cooking in an unfinished (old-fashioned-style) cast-iron skillet.

[Korn]

Mostly, I feel I haven't been getting adequate Vitamin D, Iron or my B Vitamins.

Hi Pilaf! Maybe it's a good idea to take a test and find out which nutrients you miss, if you miss any? Not that I don't trust you, but there's always the chance that you miss other nutrients than you think you do.

Depending on where you live, it's very likely that you don't get much sunlight at this time of the year (meaning that your vit. D levels may be low), and everybody needs to watch out for B12. But who knows, it could (also?) be selenium or iodine...

[englishvegoboi]

Your deficiency is an indication that you haven't totally perfected your vegan diet yet. Three brazil nuts a day will give you all the selenium you need and kelp tablets are great for iron and iodine and from a more 'natural' source'. Of course you might be deficient in other areas but this is a good start.

[thecatspajamas1]

You can get vitamin D from sunlight! (When I first learned that, I thought it was the most interesting piece of information ever.)

I bought vegan multivitamins at a health store by me. But I'm guessing there aren't a lot of health stores by you. The kind I bought smelled really bad and so I never used them. Come to think of it, I can't even remember where they are... I should really start taking them again.

I was anemic too at one point. (Not when I was vegan. It was from an incident of high blood loss.) Anyway, once you start taking iron pills you will feel a LOT better energy-wise.

[Gorilla]

i used to be anaemic when i was vegetarian, so i started taking iron tablets but i don't think they made me feel any better. i've been checked and my iron levels are fine at the moment so it's possible you feel tired for some other reason.

[Mr Flibble]

I've interacted with dozens of doctors over the years and not one of them has scoffed at my diet or criticised it in any way. :)

I agree, it's always worth seeing a doctor even if they do scoff at your diet. If it isn't your diet they are more likely to find the problem than you are armed with a web browser or a bottle of multivitamins.

I personally have yet to have a doctor who has a problem with my diet, and one of my previous doctors was semi vegetarian and telling me how great he thought it was. I asked to be referred to see a nutricianalist when I was at uni because i was tired a lot of the time and blood tests showed nothing. She said I had one of the healthiest diets she'd seen for anyone my age and doubted it was the cause of my problem. In the end, having initially blamed a virus and then my diet, it was simply a case of sorting out my sleep patterns that ultimately helped :)