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We address several aspects of Vitamin B12 for those on a vegan diet, including cost, supplementation, and the claim that B12 proves a vegan diet is not natural.
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| Text: | |
| Key Points | 5 |
| Counterclaims | 1 |
| Advocacy Notes | 2 |
| Footnotes | 26 |
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Summary
A concise summary of the briefing (see below for citations).
Vitamin B12 is not naturally found in plant foods, so supplementation is recommended for vegans to prevent serious health issues like anemia and nerve damage.
B12 supplements are affordable and available in various effective doses, making them a reliable option compared to relying on fortified foods.
While some argue that vegan diets are unnatural due to the need for supplementation, this reflects the naturalistic fallacy and can be countered by the fact that B12 supplements are also recommended for many people over 50, regardless of their diet.
Context
Places this topic in its larger context.
B12 is an important topic for vegans, as this critical nutrient is perhaps the only nutrient for which there seems to be universal agreement that vegans need to supplement.
To put the problem of B12 for vegans in its larger context, nutrient deficiencies are a common concern and not just a concern for vegans.
- According to the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), Americans are commonly deficient in 9 nutrients. These are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. In addition iron is a common deficiency in adolescent and premenopausal females.1
- In order to overcome the nutrient deficiencies commonly experienced by Americans, the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) recommendation is to adopt a USDA healthy eating pattern2 such as a vegan diet (the vegetarian healthy eating pattern explicitly allows for a fully vegan diet).3
Key Points
This section provides talking points.
B12 supplementation is recommended for vegans.
“People who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet might be prone to deficiency because plant foods don’t contain vitamin B-12″ (Mayo Clinic).4
“A vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to anemia, fatigue, muscle weakness, intestinal problems, nerve damage and mood disturbances” (Mayo Clinic).
According to Registered Dietitian Jack Norris, “the overwhelming consensus in the mainstream nutrition community and among vegan health professionals is that B12 supplementation is necessary for the optimal health of vegans. The good news is that vegans who supplement with B12 often have a superior B12 status to meat-eaters.”5
B12 supplementation is inexpensive.
It costs under 25 cents a week to buy B12 supplements—a small price to pay to avoid harming animals—and to reap the health benefits and other positive consequences of veganism.6
The “25 cents a week” figure for B12 supplementation is based on Nature Made brand B12,7 sold at Walmart and other stores, in the biweekly dosage recommendation by Dietitian Jack Norris.8
The recommended amount of supplementation varies with frequency.
“The recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms.” (Mayo Clinic)9 Recommendations for supplementation are much higher because absorbency rates vary among individuals.
For daily supplementation, Dietitian Jack Norris (among others) recommends about 5–100 micrograms of B12 in the form of cyanocobalamin, depending on age and other factors.10
For biweekly supplementation, Dietitian Jack Norris (among others) recommends 500-1,000 micrograms twice a week in the form of cyanocobalamin.11
The optimum amount of B12 supplementation can vary among individuals. Please check with your doctor to help determine your optimum amount.
Some vegans may be able to get enough B12 through fortified foods, but it’s risky.
According to Registered Dietitian Brenda Davis, you could also get adequate B12 through fortified foods by consuming three servings of B12-fortified foods daily, with each serving supplying at least two micrograms. Nondairy milk, breakfast cereals and bars, vegan meat substitutes, and nutritional yeast are commonly fortified with B12.12
Getting B12 supplementation through fortified foods requires more diligence and planning than supplementation.13
The need for B12 supplements may be a consequence of modern living.
Several health practitioners have speculated that before our modern way of life, we would have gotten adequate B12 from soil microbes and drinking water from streams. Unlike in previous times, our fruits, vegetables, and root crops are likely now grown in more sterile soil and more thoroughly washed, eliminating the B12 that might otherwise be present with the food.14 15 16 17 18
Counterclaims
Responses to some yes but retorts.
Claim: A vegan diet is not natural because vegans need to supplement with B12.
- The claim that a vegan diet is not natural is an example of the naturalistic fallacy.19 That is to say, being natural doesn’t make something ethically or nutritionally sound. Hemlock is natural but not recommended for consumption.
- If a vegan diet is unnatural because of a need for B12 supplementation, then perhaps being over fifty years old is unnatural, because those over fifty are commonly deficient in B12, and supplementation is recommended for anyone over fifty (National Academy of Medicine).20
Supplementary Info
Additional information that may prove useful.
B12 is produced by microorganisms in the soil and in the intestines of animals (including our own),21 but the B12 produced in our bodies is not adequate to prevent deficiency, so supplementation is advised for vegans.22
According to Dietitian Brenda Davis, “animal products are unreliable B12 sources in people older than 50…”23
B12 can be found naturally in a few non-animal sources, including mushrooms and seaweed; trace amounts can be found in broccoli, asparagus, mung bean sprouts, and other vegetables.24
The Framington Study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (a prospective study with 5135 participants) found that there was no difference in B12 levels between those who ate meat, poultry, or fish and those who did not eat those foods.25
- Although the Farmington Study did not separately study B12 levels for those who consume dairy products, it should be noted that most plant milks are fortified with B12.26
Further Study
Sources providing a deeper understanding of the topic or related topics.
Other Resources
Article: Vitamin B12, Vegan Health, Jack Norris RD. This is a comprehensive resource regarding B12 nutrition for vegans.
Video: What You Need To Know About Vitamin B12 | Vegan Diets. Neal Barnard, Physicians Committee
Advocacy Resources
Information to help with outreach and advocacy.
Additional media and advocacy resources are on the way, though not every briefing will feature every type of media.
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Advocacy Notes
Tips for Advocacy and Outreach
Do not argue that B12 is not produced by animals but by bacteria.
- One could argue that because B12 is synthesized in the intestines of animals it is produced by animals (B12 is also produced in the soil).
Do not argue that bovines are supplemented with B12, so that’s where omnivores get their B12.
- It’s true that some bovines are supplemented with B12 in some circumstances, but the author cannot verify that it’s a common practice, and even if it is a common practice, that’s where the B12 in bovine flesh originates. It’s complex.
Footnotes
Our sources, with links back to where they’re used.
- “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Part D Chapter 1.” Health.gov ODPHP, 2015. ↩︎
- “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Part D Chapter 1.” Health.gov ODPHP, 2015. ↩︎
- “USDA Food Patterns: Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Eighth Edition. ↩︎
- Vitamin B12, Mayo Clinic, July 17, 2021 ↩︎
- Norris, Jack . “Vitamin B12.” Vweb.archive.org/web/20240517231351/https://veganhealth.org/vitamin-b12/ ↩︎
- The “25 cents a week” figure for B12 supplementation is based on “Nature Made Vitamin B-12 Dietary Supplement Timed Release Tablets, 1000mcg, 190 Count.” Walmart.com. Accessed January 30, 2018. ↩︎
- “Nature Made Vitamin B-12 Dietary Supplement Timed Release Tablets, 1000mcg, 190 Count.” Walmart.com. Accessed January 30, 2018. ↩︎
- Norris, Jack. “Daily Needs.” Vegan Health. ↩︎
- Vitamin B12, Mayo Clinic, July 17, 2021 ↩︎
- Norris, Jack. “Daily Needs.” Vegan Health. ↩︎
- Norris, Jack. “Daily Needs.” Vegan Health. ↩︎
- Davis, Brenda, and Vesanto Melina. Becoming Vegan: The Complete Reference to Plant-Based Nutrition. Com edition. Book Pub Co, 2014. 221 ↩︎
- Davis, Brenda, and Vesanto Melina. Becoming Vegan: The Complete Reference to Plant-Based Nutrition. Com edition. Book Pub Co, 2014. 221 ↩︎
- Klaper, Dr. Michael. “Vitamin B12 Basics.” Michael Klaper, M.D., Nutrition-Based Medicine, January 27, 2017. ↩︎
- Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M Campbell. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. 1 edition. Dallas, Tex: BenBella Books, 2004 232 ↩︎
- Klaper, Dr. Michael. “Vitamin B12 Basics.” Michael Klaper, M.D., Nutrition-Based Medicine, January 27, 2017. ↩︎
- Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M Campbell. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. 1 edition. Dallas, Tex: BenBella Books, 2004 232 ↩︎
- Goldhamer, Alan, and Doug Lisle. “Vitamin B12 Recommendations for Vegans | TrueNorth Health.” True North Health Center, May 26, 2010. ↩︎
- “Naturalistic Fallacy, Psychology Wiki ↩︎
- National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), and Food and Nutrition Board. “Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline” . Washington, D.C: National Academies Press, 2000. 306 ↩︎
- Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M Campbell. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. 1 edition. Dallas, Tex: BenBella Books, 2004 232 ↩︎
- Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M Campbell. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. 1 edition. Dallas, Tex: BenBella Books, 2004 232 ↩︎
- Davis, Brenda; Melina, Vesanto. Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition: The Complete Reference to Plant-Base Nutrition . Book Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. Location 1832 ↩︎
- Fumio Watanabe, Yukinori Yabuta, Tomohiro Bito, Fei Teng, “Vitamin B12-Containing Plant Food Sources for Vegetarians” Nutrients 2014, 6(5), 1861-1873, May 5, 2014 ↩︎
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring Study.” February 1, 2000 ↩︎
- Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD. Vegan & Vegetarian Sources of B12. Greenletes ↩︎
