Post Punk Kitchen Forum

This question has probably been asked 3000 times... sorry about that! I haven't had any reason to read the threads about this on the previous boards and now I can't go back to read them.

My body is having trouble absorbing B vitamins due to a tiny problem of mine and thus I have to start taking a vitamin B complex on doctor's orders. So I got a nice box of them today. I didn't check the ingredients because as a relatively new vegan I make the mistake of thinking "oh come on, there can't be anything animal derived in THAT" occasionally... and then I come home and find out there are 15 different E-numbers (yes, E-numbers: they're real!) in them, one of which is beeswax (E 901). I'm annoyed.

Does anyone else take a B Complex, and if you do, which one? If there's no other way, I'll take these, but I'd like to know if I can get a different kind first!

Were the B vits prescribed or did you buy them over the counter? (I don't know anything about the health service in the Netherlands, I'm sorry!) I'm just wondering if there's a higher concentration/absorbtion that you are getting from a doctor as I'm sure I've bought B vits in Holland and Barrett here that are vegan-friendly. You should be able to get uncoated vitamins somewhere local, if not online (I'm assuming it's the coating that has the beeswax in it?)

Probably a good idea to go back to your Dr and ask for vegan ones, maybe print out the ingredients/ strength of an over the counter vegan one and ask if they are ok to take instead ? One thing about being vegan is learning to speak up! x

I bought them over the counter - getting them prescribed is useless since vitamins aren't insured. I'm glad to know they do exist though. (And yes it was the coating... they have three different kinds of polish on them. Vitamins. Polished. 'cause god forbid they don't look shiny.)


Ohhh man I have so much to learn! ;)

Well Lard knows I don't want vitamins if I can't see my face in them!

Check out a healthfood type shop if you have one nearby, otherwise googling will I'm sure find you the equivalent on t'internets.

Perhaps that the multi vitamin Veg 1 is an option? (which they sell at Vega-life in your town)

As far as my limited knowledge of vitamins goes, B's should be in green leafy vegetables?

I went to my nature store today before I went to the supermarket but they don't have vitamins, just herbs and yummy cookies that I didn't mean to buy but bought anyway 'cause hey, I was there already. I'll go to the pharmacy tomorrow, but the kind I bought is the only kind I know of so I'm a little insecure about this. I hope I don't have to order them, I'm not exactly swimming in money right now.


I can genuinely see my face in them. If only they weren't so tiny, then I would've been able to use them as a little mirror and not have wasted 7,50 on pills that aren't vegan.

If you get a puppy to lick the coating off then they're totes vegan.

Ha, that's what my dad said! Except he was serious. "Just scrape off the top then". Ah, parents.

Almost all of my vitamins are the VegLife line, because I know they're all vegan, and they have a B-Complex vitamin. I don't know how easy they are to find, though--I order them through my health food store.

I got vegan ones at the pharmacy! They didn't have the ingredients on the bottle that they gave me from the doctor's prescription but the pharmacist ensured me there was no lactose in it. This genuinely makes me feel a little better. :) I wish I could now tell you the brand of 'em but I have no clue!

Veg_Eric, I'm going by Vega-life later this week so I'll see if I can find them there as well, for future reference. :)

Thanks all!

I'm pretty sure the ones from De Tuinen (owned by Holland&Barrett) are vegan, too!