The first and most important rule: if you become truly plant-based, you need vitamin B12 and  iodine

              Plants do not contain vitamin B12, although it is found in the bacteria on their roots which may be a source for animals.

• I use Nature Made 1000 mcg chewable  (unless you have pernicious anemia where you may need more, or are on a PPI such as nexium so you don't absorb it).
• Why am I advising a particular brand? Because only NatureMade and Kirkland (Costco) brands (however not all these products) are USP branded! For a historical perspective, see this article. That means at some point, they met lab testing for identity, potency, purity, and performance.

And just because a supplement is "natural" doesn't mean it's good for you. A dear friend once said to me, "Snake venom is natural. It doesn't mean it's good for you!"

Any product used in pharmacologic doses is a drug, and many are not what they say. Worse yet, they may contain harmful ingredients. See this video about prevagen as an example.

What about Omega 3's? YES, but not for your heart- for your brain.

• Instead of prevagen that has no scientific data to back it, reach for algal omega 3.
• It's especially important if you are vegan. But please don't kill the krill! An algae-based product such as Ovega or NatureMade Algae that are grown in inland ponds are much more sustainable and avoid contamination with ocean pollutants like PCBs, mercury, etc.
• Although many say you can get your omega's with ground flax seed, it's been reported that plant sources may not be reliably absorbed, especially as you age. So I just bite the bullet and swallow the big capsule

Vitamin D has gone through a zillion studies, some touting it is as good as estrogen for preventing bone loss and others saying there's no effect, some saying it lessens the death rate from cancer, and others refuting that. Bottom line- No harm, no foul. Because you need sun exposure on your skin (between 11 am-2 pm, arms and legs exposed for 20 min.), many in nursing homes or at their desks or even using sunscreen that blocks vitamin D will have deficiencies.

• Again, I take NatureMade Vitamin D, 1000 IU on average daily. I do believe it helps prevent viral illness and noticed most infectious disease experts were taking it during COVID. And I still wonder about bone loss.
• Because vitamin D is fat-soluble, you can take 10,000 IU weekly instead.
• There seems to be little harm even when high doses of 5,000 IU daily are taken but we do not suggest it.

That's not true for some vitamins, which can be fat or water-soluble. The water-soluble are like B12- you just pee out what you don't use. But fat-soluble, like vitamin A, can get you into trouble as they accumulate in fatty tissues and can reach toxic levels.

I had heard Vitamin K2 was important for bone health. Dr. Greger to the rescue! Save your money! No need to supplement.

Ahhh- calcium supplements. Doctors argue about this one. As far as I can see, the verdict is out. but still contentious.  Calcium supplements don't help bone density and fractures, and they may worsen kidney stones and coronary plaque formation.  You do need calcium- 500 mg is a good number to shoot for. But we suggest it be from foods. It likely has something to do with the gut biome?  Seems to me it's the same principle with eye supplements to prevent macular degeneration (AREDS and ocuvite). Although studies show benefits of eating green leafies to prevent it, supplements have not shown any significant effect for other than the wet form. Our body may be smarter than our brain thinks it is.  Back to calcium, according to Dr. Greger, once you get down to just a few hundred milligrams a day, you may get significantly more bone loss.

And probiotics ? There is no scientific data that they work, but likely there's no harm either. So if you feel better, we don't feel there's a need to advise stopping them.

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