Vitamin Deficiency

[GlutenGuy36]

I haven't been tested for any other vitamins other than B-12 levels which my Gastro Enterologist said were fine. I have read in this forum about others and the benefits that they are having from taking vitamins like D, Calcium, Magnesium and Iron. I am a 37 year old male and I was wondering If anyone would know how much of these to take is ok?

I am still having everyday pain that hasn't resolved on the gluten-free diet and wondering if it is a mineral deficiency of somekind. It's just and overall pain that I don't know how to describe like something is off. I will be getting blood tests done again soon but in the mean time I'm going to try the vitamins , just didn't want to over do it.

[RiceGuy]

Typically, you can safely take the amounts suggested on the label for any given nutritional supplement without worry of overdose. Many can be taken at some multiple of the suggested dosage before it would be an overdose. In fact, many on this board have found it necessary to take amounts far in excess of the usual recommendations. When there is malabsorption, you basically need to ingest more than the required amount, in order to absorb enough.

Please do be careful to get a copy of all test results. It has been shown that B12 can appear normal with a blood test, while the body is still deficient. The good news is that there is no known level of overdose for B12, so if you find your symptoms might be related to B12 deficiency, it shouldn't hurt to try a supplement.

Celiacs tend to be low in all B vitamins, especially while there is still healing to be done. So a B-complex is probably a good idea, along with a separate B12 and the others you've mentioned. The labels indicate the percentage of the recommended daily intake, so it's easy to figure the RDI value. For instance, you might see a magnesium supplement label showing one dose equal to 200mg, and 50% of the daily recommended. About 400mg is the RDI for magnesium (it varies a bit depending on gender, age etc).

Both NOW Foods and Source Naturals are good about labeling for gluten-free and allergens, etc.