In this post, I’m sharing 5 of the best gluten free vitamins and the reasons why they’re beneficial for our overall health when living a gluten free lifestyle.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission on products if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
If you have a gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease, following a gluten free diet is essential and can significantly improve your health. You also want to make sure any vitamins supplements you take are also gluten free. I’m sharing 5 of the best gluten free vitamins that I take regularly.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a general name for the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale [a cross between wheat and rye].
Gluten is naturally occurring, but it can be extracted, concentrated and added to food and other products to add protein, texture and flavor. It’s usually found in bread, cereals, and sometimes even vitamins!
Most vitamins are gluten free, but you always want to read labels to double check to make sure there wasn’t any cross contamination. Common gluten-containing ingredients found in supplements include “those derived from gluten-containing grains, which may hide as starch, modified starch, dextrin, maltodextrin, and other various fillers, coatings, binders, and thickeners.”
Do I Need Extra Vitamins If I’m Gluten Free?
Firstly, gluten is a protein. So sometimes people who eat gluten-free can be deficient in a few vitamins and minerals, their daily intake of may not quite meet recommendations. Gluten-free foods often aren’t supplemented with extra nutrients.
[Obviously it’s best to speak with a doctor if you have any questions about any nutrient deficiencies you might have, you never want to over do it and take too many vitamins, that will end up having a negative impact on your health.]
1. Gluten Free Vitamin C
I think we all jumped on taking extra Vitamin C after the pandemic began. It’s always been something I’ve regularly taken everyday, my parents always gave us vitamin C to keep us from getting sick in the winter at school.
Vitamin C is water soluble meaning it’s easily absorbed by the body, which means you won’t store large amounts of it to help naturally keep your body nutritionally balanced. One of the jobs of the kidneys are to remove any excess water-soluble vitamins that aren’t needed. Basically, whatever our bodies don’t need – we pee it out.
But in a recent study they’ve discovered that vitamin C reduces inflammatory damage caused by gluten. Because it’s absorbed in the jejunum [the primary site of small intestine inflammation] vitamin C deficiency is common in untreated celiac patients.
I take a chewable, orange flavored Vitamin C – they’re delicious.
2. Gluten Free Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your skin produces it in response to sunlight. This is crucial for anyone to take during the winter months if you live somewhere with cold, dark winters.
Vitamin D isn’t naturally found in many foods, but it can be found in fortified milk, orange juice, and fatty fish such like salmon.
Vitamin D deficiencies are common, but can be especially high for celiac patients. Gluten intolerance, especially celiac disease, creates malabsorption of nutrients . But malabsorption and to what degree is unique to each person, depending on where their intestine is most damaged. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
3. Zinc
Another critical nutrient that many celiac patients don’t get enough of is zinc. Zinc is another vitamin that was heavily recommended for everyone during the peak of Covid.
Zinc is essential for more than simply recovering faster from a cold or the flu. The mineral supports cell function, promotes wound healing, and increases growth and development.
Zinc deficiency is common for those who are gluten free. Zinc is necessary to control inflammation, repair damaged tissues, support healthy immune response, and aid in the digestive process.
Boosting zinc levels is encouraged through diet with foods like beans, milk, yogurt, and meat.
I only take extra zinc when I’m sick.
4. B-12
“Celiac Disease can damage the part of the small intestine where iron, folate, and vitamin B12 are absorbed. This damage leads to reduced nutrient absorption. Reduced absorption means the body may not get enough of these nutrients, with anemia being one potential result.”
Vitamin B12, absorbed in the lower part of the small intestine, is a common deficiency seen in celiac disease.
Foods high in b12 are meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, and some fortified breakfast cereals. [However if you’re gluten free, you know it can be hard to find cereals that are gluten free.]
You can take b12 daily, I try to incorporate it into my vitamins every other day.
5.Iron For Anemia
Finally, poor absorption in the digestive system cause iron deficiencies in celiac patients. Iron-rich foods include dark green leafy vegetables, beans, seafood, red meat, pork, and poultry.
Multiple issues can cause anemia, but most people hear about low iron being the primary cause. I try to get my iron intake from the foods I eat instead of a vitamin.
So I don’t have a particular brand of vitamin that I use for extra Iron.
You Might Not Need Extra Vitamins
Certainly, if you eat a varied, balanced diet, it’s unlikely you need to take extra supplements, unless you have a known deficiency. A vitamin D supplement is recommended for people who aren’t getting regular access to strong sunlight.
Many people may benefit from specific supplements or multivitamins depending on their dietary patterns, health conditions, life stages, and medications.
A multivitamin is always a good option for someone who doesn’t want to take a whole bunch of extra vitamins daily or has trouble remembering to take them. [Remember, just double check the label that they’re gluten free.]
In this post, I shared with you my personal recommendations for the vitamins that work for my body personally. It’s important when living a gluten free lifestyle that we get all the nutrients that are necessary to stay healthy. I hope these recommendations are helpful for you!
You may also like [20 Sneaky Names For Gluten]
Information from this blog should not be treated as a substitute for professional assistance from trained medical, health, and wellness professionals. Please discuss any changes to your diet, medication, supplements, treatments, diagnoses, and physical activity with your doctor before taking any action as a result of information from this blog.