Supplementing

[Andypandy30]

Should I be taking a good b complex with injections also a multivitamin as well as the folic acid I take daily for my B12d injections to work properly

[deniseinmilden]

You should only need the multivitamin and mineral supplement as it will contain all the main B vitamins you need but you may need some extra folate, probably as folic acid.

You are not likely to need a B-Complex in addition to the multivitamin as you would then be doubling up on just the B vitamins.

The multivitamin and mineral supplement is like a B-Complex only better because it makes sure you have a balance of everything - all the other vitamins and minerals as well as just the Bs - that you need to make the B12 work.

Don't be fooled by price or packaging either - Tesco's A-Z multivitamins + minerals and similar ones from other supermarkets are generally just as comprehensive with balanced levels as fancy brand ones - if not better!

(I have played "Top Trumps" with many different ones!! 😁)

That said, if you are doing frequent injections or if you have other absorption/processing issues then you may need to increase your intake of potassium, magnesium and maybe iron as well. Ideally you will do this by eating and drinking foods high in these. Probably the best thing to do is to Google each of these to find out which foods you like that are rich in these.

Individual supplements are available however, if you have deficiency symptoms and need to top up, but this must be done with care, especially in the case of the minerals as they can cause problems in excess.

[mourneadventurer]

Perhaps consider L Methyl Folate instead of Folic Acid as it is the active form..

Currently I am taking Picometer sized ReMag and ReMyte to remineralise. These products have been formulated by Dr Carolyn Dean MD ND and are easily absorbed the former not causing loose stools. (Botanicahealth) Quicksilver Scientific do a liposomal all in one vitamin which I’m also trying (ProActive health).

[fbirder in reply to mourneadventurer]

Methyl folate is an active form.

For the vast majority of people folic acid is just as good, if not better.

[fbirder]

There should be no need to take any other B vitamins unless you’ve been diagnosed as deficienct.

[ACritical]

Supplement when necessary, blood test 2 times a year in my case. I recommend a good Probiotic . Cheap multivitamins are what they are cheap, not even worth the little money you do pay for them. Good for those who have no need for them in the first place. Keep a healthy diet. If you do have to supplement find the right ones, don’t just go by price alone. ( look for instance into what top sports people use)

[Andypandy30 in reply to ACritical]

May I also ask . If I have an absorption problem as with pa is it not the case I would have an absorption problem getting these vitamins and minerals from food ?

[fbirder in reply to Andypandy30]

B12 is unusual in that it is too big to move out of the gut alone, it needs to be escorted across by a special protein, Intrinsic Factor. Most absorption problems for B12 are because of a lack of Intrinsic Factor.

But the same things that stop production of IF can also stop production of stomach acid. And that affects some other things.

Iron, for example, needs to be in solution to be absorbed. And it dissolves much more easily in an acidic environment. So you may find it helpful to supplement with a low-dose, easily dissolved, iron formulation. I used Gentle Iron, 25 mg of iron bisglycinate.

Then there’s folate. The folate in food cant be absorbed easily. That’s because it has several glutamate molecules attached to it. Before it can dissolve these need to be removed by peptidases. Sometimes of these require acid to activate them. So you may benefit from folic acid supplements (400 mcg a day) as they don’t have all those glutamate bits attached.

[Andypandy30 in reply to fbirder]

Thank you for the info fbirder and everyone who replied . Youre all so informed and kind x