Vitamin B12: What Vegan and Vegetarian Eaters Need to Know

There is one nutrient that is absolutely critical to be getting and takes some extra care from vegetarian and vegan eaters: vitamin B12. In this article we discuss what Vitamin B12 is and why it’s important.

How much B12 do you need? What are the best sources of vegan B12? Can you get B12 from food, or do you need to take a supplement? Registered dietitian Taylor Wolfram, MS, RDN, LDN, answers all these questions and more. 

While going vegan and eating a plant-based diet is a smart move when it comes to helping animals, the planet, and our bodies, we need to make sure we cover all of our nutritional bases.

If you’re eating a well-balanced diet of colorful plant foods including whole grains, legumes (such as beans), lentils and peas, nuts and seeds, vegetables (including dark leafy greens), and fruits, you’re likely getting most of the nutrients you need. Except one: Vitamin B12. 

What Is Vitamin B12?

There is just one nutrient that isn’t available naturally in plant foods and that is vitamin B₁₂. This particular vitamin is produced in the digestive tracts of mammals, which is why it is found in animal foods such as meat, eggs and milk.

We need vitamin B₁₂ for proper neurological functioning and red blood cell production. It’s also required for the synthesis of DNA and RNA.

Reliable Sources of Vitamin B12

We require adequate stomach acid as well as something called intrinsic factor in order to digest and absorb vitamin B₁₂. Some people don’t have strong stomach acid or enough intrinsic factor, which is why more than just vegans may need to take a B12 supplement.

You may have heard some myths about vitamin B₁₂, such as being able to obtain it from unwashed produce, fermented foods, or sea vegetables, and that simply isn’t true. Sea vegetables contain inactive analogs of vitamin B₁₂ that can actually interfere with the absorption of active forms of the nutrient.

Others proclaim that we make our own vitamin B₁₂ just like other animals do, but the issue is that vitamin B₁₂ is absorbed higher up in the digestive tract than where it is made. In other words, any vitamin B₁₂ we make, we poop out.

The only reliable sources of vitamin B₁₂ in a vegan diet are fortified foods and supplements.

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Because the body has the ability to store vitamin B₁₂ for a few years, a vegan may consume inadequate amounts of the nutrient without realizing the effects for some time. By the time you notice the signs of a B₁₂ deficiency, some irreversible neurological damage may have been done. Symptoms of B₁₂ deficiency include anemia, weakness and weight loss as well as memory loss and numbness or tingling in the extremities.

Research shows that vegans and people eating exclusively raw food commonly suffer from vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, with estimates up to 70% in some populations. It’s not worth it to wait around and see if you get a nutritional deficiency—when it comes to vitamin B₁₂, it’s best for vegans to supplement or eat fortified foods as soon as they go vegan.

Vitamin B12 Recommendations for Vegetarians and Vegans

Luckily, consuming adequate vitamin B12 is very easy to do. The recommended dietary allowance is 2.4 micrograms per day for adults which can be achieved through daily or weekly supplementation, or by consuming fortified foods.

Fortified foods are easily accessible and supplements are very affordable. Registered dietitian nutritionist and vegan nutrition expert Ginny Messina recommends one of the following:

1. Fortified foods with 2 – 3.5 micrograms twice per day
2. Supplement with 25 – 100 micrograms daily
3. Supplement with 1000 micrograms twice per week

Note: Absorption of this nutrient decreases as the dose increases.

Can You Find Vitamin B12 in Vegan Food?

While taking a supplement is usually the most reliable option, you can find B12 in some vegan and vegetarian food. How? Look for foods that are fortified with it!

For instance, nutritional yeast, a common vegan ingredient, is often fortified with B12. But if relying on fortified foods, be sure to read the nutrition facts label to determine the amount. Not all vegan products nor nutritional yeast are fortified with vitamin B12.

Foods Commonly Fortified with Vitamin B12

• Nutritional Yeast
• Plant-Based Milk
• Tofu
• Breakfast Cereals
• Vegan Yogurt

If you have concerns about your vitamin levels, ask your doctor for a blood test and work with a registered dietitian nutritionist to develop an individualized nutrition plan. There are many registered dietitians with vegetarian nutrition expertise and plant-based doctors you can consult.

Vitamin B12 Supplements

There are hundreds of brands of Vitamin B12 supplements to choose from. A quick visit to your local health food store should have you covered, as they typically stock high-quality B12 which are commonly sold as sublingual tablets, capsules, dropper bottles, or sprays. You can also find plant-based multivitamins and supplements that contain B12.

Vegan Vitamin B12 Supplement Brands

• Deva Vegan B12 Tablets (sublingual vitamin with Folic Acid and B6)
• Organic Methyl B12 Spray from NBPure
• Organic Vitamin B12 Liquid Drops from Global Healing
• MyKind Organics Garden of Life B12 Spray (organic methycobalamin) 
• Naturelo B12 Capsules (gelatin-free vegetarian capsules with spirulina)

Plant-Based Multivitamins That Contain B12

• Hippo7 Vegan Multivitamin (contains iron, zinc, omega-3s, vitamin d, iodine, calcium, and B12) 
• MegaFood B12 Multivitamin (easy to swallow tablet with B6 and folic acid)
• NuPursuit Plant-Based Essentials Multivitamins (capsules with vitamins B12, D3, K2, riboflavin, iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, and omega-3 DHA)
• Ritual Multivitamins (fully-vegan brand with vitamins customized for women, men, prenatal, postnatal, seniors, and more)
• Naturelo One-Daily Multivitamins (for women, men, and even gummy options for kids)

Enjoy The Many Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet

This article is certainly not intended to scare you aware from going vegan. Quite the opposite, in fact! Choosing a plant-based diet can be one of the healthiest ways to eat and will likely help you live a longer life and a healthier life.

Removing meat, dairy, and eggs from your diet can help dramatically lower your cholesterol levels, prevent and reverse Type 2 diabetes, prevent and reverse heart disease, and so much more. The health benefits of a plant-based diet are widely recognized by doctors, dietitians, and athletes alike. Just go vegan responsibly and take your vitamins!

Additional Resources from Registered Dietitians

• The Vegan RD, by Ginny Messina, MPH, RD: Vitamin B12: A Vegan Nutrition Primer
• VeganHealth.org by Jack Norris, RD: Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?
• Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group: RD Resources for Consumers: Vitamin B12 in Vegetarian Diets

Vitamin B12 Research Studies

• Health effects of vegan diets
• Hygienic Assessment of Nutrition in Vegetarians and People with Mixed Feeding
• The impact of vegan diet on B12 status in healthy omnivores: five-year prospective study
• Vegan Diet, Subnormal Vitamin B12 Status and Cardiovascular Health

Disclaimer: The information presented here is not to be construed as medical advice or used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.