The biggest concern people have about switching to a vegan diet is whether it gives the body everything it needs. The British Dietetic Association is clear on this: well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages.
The operative word is "well-planned". As with any diet, meat-based ones included, it pays to know which nutrients need attention. For a plant-based diet there are three or four worth knowing about.
Here is what to watch, and what is worth supplementing.
What Is in Meat and Dairy That Vegans Need to Get Elsewhere?
Vitamin B12 for Vegans
Vitamin B12 is the big one. It is the single nutrient you cannot reliably get from plants, and it contributes to normal red blood cell formation, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
There is a common misconception that animals produce vitamin B12 themselves. It is actually made by bacteria, not by animals or plants, so animals get it directly or indirectly from bacteria. They accumulate it over their lives, they are often supplemented with it in their feed, and they pick it up from their environment (1).
Vegans go to the source instead, which in practice means fortified foods or a B12 supplement.
Vitamin D3 for Vegans
Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of normal bones, and it helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus.
Most people assume you get it from the sun, and you do, but between October and early March there is not enough sunlight in the UK to manage it. Government advice is that everyone should consider a daily vitamin D supplement through the autumn and winter.
There are two forms in food: D2 (ergocalciferol) from plants, and D3 (cholecalciferol), which is the form used in most supplements and which the body uses more readily (2). The usual dietary sources of D3 are oily fish, egg yolks and cod liver oil, none of which help here. Lichen is the exception, and it is where our vegan vitamin D3 comes from.
What Should You Actually Supplement?
Omega-3 for Vegans
A vegan diet is usually well supplied with one type of omega-3 and short on the others.
ALA is the plant one, and it is in rapeseed oil, soy products, walnuts and flaxseed. Your body can convert ALA into the long-chain omega-3s, EPA and DHA, but research suggests that conversion is limited, and that vegans tend to have lower EPA and DHA levels than people who eat fish (3).
EPA and DHA themselves are only found in fish, fish oil and microalgae. Algae is where the fish get theirs, so an algae oil supplement goes straight to the source.
There is more in our omega-3 guide for vegans and vegetarians, and on what the omega in omega-3 actually means.
Iron for Vegans
Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, and to normal oxygen transport. It is not a vegan-specific issue, but plant iron is absorbed less readily than the iron in meat, so it is worth knowing where yours comes from. Eating something with vitamin C in the same meal helps.
Plant sources include nuts and seeds, plus:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Beans
- Tofu
- Cashew nuts
- Chia seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Ground linseed
- Hemp seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Kale
- Dried apricots and figs
- Raisins
- Quinoa
- Fortified foods such as breakfast cereals
Our multivitamin and minerals carries 14mg of iron per tablet, which is 100% of your daily reference intake.
Calcium for Vegans
Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, and has a role in normal muscle function. Research suggests vegans tend to have lower calcium intakes than vegetarians and meat-eaters (4).
Plant sources include:
- Dark leafy greens
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas
- Fortified foods, such as plant milk and breakfast cereals
Vitamin D helps your body absorb it, which is one more reason the two go together.
Is a Multivitamin Enough for a Vegan?
A multivitamin covers a lot of ground in one tablet, and for most people it is a sensible base. Where a plant-based diet has a specific gap, a dedicated supplement at a higher dose makes more sense than relying on the multi alone. B12 and omega-3 are the two that usually justify their own.
If you think you may be running low on B12, our post on how to spot a vitamin B12 deficiency covers what to look out for and how long a shortfall takes to show up.
A well-balanced vegan diet can meet your nutritional needs. A few things, vitamin B12, vitamin D and omega-3 among them, are simply harder to cover through food alone.
If you’re looking to start, have a look at Omvits, a 100% plant-based, ocean-friendly and sustainable vitamin and mineral producer.
