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What supplements are needed with a WFPB diet?

Few supplements are needed when following a Whole Food, Plant Based diet that includes a wide variety of whole foods. 

Vitamin B12 supplementation is necessary.  It is critical that you take B12 on a regular basis. Vitamin B12 is made by microbes as neither plants nor animals make it. Eating unwashed fruits, roots, leaves, vegetables and drinking from natural water sources would have supplied our ancient ancestors with Vitamin B12, but that's not an option in today's polluted world. We wash our fruits and vegetables and drink treated or filtered water etc. for safety. 

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin B12 for people over age 14 is 2.4 micrograms. All adults over the age of 50 are advised to consume foods fortified with vitamin B12 or a supplement containing vitamin B12 because of malabsorption issues with food-bound vitamin B12. All who follow a plant-based diet are advised to either consume B12 fortified foods or take a vitamin B12 supplement. I think that getting it in pill form is the easiest way to know that you get an adequate amount regularly. 

Dr. Michael Greger from nutritionfacts.org advises taking at least 50 mcg daily or at least 2,000 mcg once per week. For adults over 65, he advises 1,000 mcg per day.

Other supplements to consider:

Vitamin D: 2,000 IU supplement daily if not getting sun exposure daily.

Iodine: 150 mcg daily if not eating seaweed or using iodized salt

DHA: 250 mg daily of yeast or algae-derived long-chain omega-3's

Zinc: between 8 and 11 milligrams per day depending on how much zinc is in the foods you eat and your sex and age.

Other supplements may be needed by women in child-bearing years or if needed because of deficiency. 

See:

Dr. Fuhrman's information about Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Iodine, DHA, and Zinc

https://www.drfuhrman.com/content-image.ashx?id=65m12qvx5stmidc00uft3w

Dr. Greger's Optimum Nutrient Recommendations

https://nutritionfacts.org/optimum-nutrient-recommendations/


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