Do vegans need to take vitamin B12 supplements?
Vitamin B12 is of special concern to vegans because it is not reliably found in plant sources. Vitamin-enriched foods in a vegan diet can provide enough vitamin B12 to meet daily needs. Vegans can also obtain adequate B12 by taking a supplement. Vitamin B12 is important for correct neurological function; therefore it is important for all vegans – especially vegan infants and children (who do not have stores of B12), pregnant and lactating women, and elderly individuals – to include good sources of B12 in their diets. The body requires only small amounts of B12 and stores this vitamin for slow release, so the signs of deficiency may not become evident for several years in individuals who formerly ate meat or dairy. The best sources are fortified soy/rice milks, fortified nutritional yeast such as Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula (formerly T6635+), fortified cereals, fortified meat analogs, and vegan vitamin supplements.
