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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.

Closely related: In reply to: B12 is a problem for vegans, so a vegan diet is not natural.

Points to Consider

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)^[1]Vitamin B12, Mayo Clinic, July 17, 2021
• “Vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function and the production of DNA, the molecules inside cells that carry genetic information.” (Mayo Clinic)^[2]Vitamin B12, Mayo Clinic, July 17, 2021
• “A vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to anemia, fatigue, muscle weakness, intestinal problems, nerve damage and mood disturbances.” (Mayo Clinic)^[3]Vitamin B12, Mayo Clinic, July 17, 2021

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.^[4]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 … Continue reading
  • The “25 cents a week” figure for B12 supplementation is based on Nature Made brand B12^[5]“Nature Made Vitamin B-12 Dietary Supplement Timed Release Tablets, 1000mcg, 190 Count.” Walmart.com. Accessed January 30, 2018., sold at Walmart and other stores, in the biweekly dosage recommendation by Dietitian Jack Norris.^[6]Norris, Jack. “Daily Needs.” Vegan Health.

A major study finds no difference in B12 levels among meat-eaters and others.

• 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.^[7]American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring Study.” February 1, 2000
• 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.^[8]Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD. Vegan & Vegetarian Sources of B12. Greenletes

It’s not as if nutrient deficiency is a concern only for vegans.

• B12 is not the only nutrient of concern—according to the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), Americans are commonly deficient in 10 nutrients(“Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Part D Chapter 1.” Health.gov ODPHP, 2015.)):
  • vitamin A
  • vitamin C
  • vitamin D
  • vitamin E
  • folate
  • calcium
  • magnesium
  • iron
  • potassium
  • fiber (not technically a nutrient)

• In order to overcome the 10 nutrient deficiencies commonly experienced by Americans, the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) recommendation is to adopt a USDA healthy eating pattern^[9]“Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Part D Chapter 1.” Health.gov ODPHP, 2015. such as a vegan diet. (The vegetarian healthy eating pattern explicitly allows for a fully vegan diet.)^[10]“USDA Food Patterns: Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Eighth Edition.

Other Useful Information

General Information

• B12 is produced by microorganisms in the soil and in the intestines of animals (including our own),^[11]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 … Continue reading but the B12 produced in our bodies is not adequate to prevent deficiency, so supplementation is advised for vegans.^[12]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 … Continue reading
• According to Dietitian Brenda Davis, “animal products are unreliable B12 sources in people older than 50.”^[13]Davis, Brenda; Melina, Vesanto. Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition: The Complete Reference to Plant-Base Nutrition . Book Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. Location 1832
• 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, kimchi, and other vegetables.^[14]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

Recommended Supplementation

• “The recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms.” (Mayo Clinic)^[15]Vitamin B12, Mayo Clinic, July 17, 2021 Recommendations for supplementation are higher because absorbency rates vary among individuals.
• For daily supplementation, Dietitian Jack Norris (among others) recommends 25–100 micrograms of B12 in the form of cyanocobalamin.^[16]Norris, Jack. “Daily Needs.” Vegan Health.
• For biweekly supplementation, Dietitian Jack Norris (among others) recommends 1,000 micrograms twice a week in the form of cyanocobalamin.^[17]Norris, Jack. “Daily Needs.” Vegan Health.
• According to Dietitian Brenda Davis, you can 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.^[18]Davis, Brenda, and Vesanto Melina. Becoming Vegan: The Complete Reference to Plant-Based Nutrition. Com edition. Book Pub Co, 2014. 221
• Getting B12 supplementation through fortified foods requires more diligence and planning than supplementation.^[19]Davis, Brenda, and Vesanto Melina. Becoming Vegan: The Complete Reference to Plant-Based Nutrition. Com edition. Book Pub Co, 2014. 221

Suggestions for Advocacy

• Recommendation: 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.)
• Recommendation: 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 that’s where the B12 in bovine flesh originates. It’s complex.

Related Links

• On this website
  • In reply to: B12 is a problem for vegans, so a vegan diet is not natural.
• On other websites
  • Articles
    • Vitamin B12, Vegan Health, Jack Norris RD. This is a comprehensive resource regarding B12 nutrition for vegans.
• Videos
  • What You Need To Know About Vitamin B12 | Vegan Diets. Neal Barnard, Physicians Committee

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Footnotes