26
votes
Accepted
What is a good source of Vitamin B12 for a vegan?
Can I live without it safely?
No. B12 is an extremely important vitamin supporting many bodily and psychiatric functions. Fun fact (and I need citation here) is that it is so important you can live ...
- 1,484
24
votes
Accepted
Where does the B12 in vitamin supplements come from?
The B12 in supplements is made from bacteria and sourced from bacteria cultures. It is not from animal products.
However, some supplements can contain gelatin in the capsule, which you should look ...
- 2,420
19
votes
What are the main nutrient deficiency concerns for vegans?
When in doubt, consult your doctor, and do bloodwork!
Iron. I have never had anemia problems and iron is replete in dark leafy greens.
Vitamin A. Primarily found in meats, but also in cooked ...
- 1,484
19
votes
Where does the B12 in vitamin supplements come from?
Artificial vitamin B12, also known as Cyanocobalamin is produced by bacterial fermentation, as indicated here.
Technically, bacteria are far from being considered animals, so this method should be ...
- 3,691
16
votes
Vegans: Besides supplements, what can substitute for Calcium?
Calcium is readily available from a number of plant-based sources:
Tofu, processed with nigari* (100g) 282mg
Collard greens, cooked (1 cup) 268mg
Soybeans, cooked (1 cup) 261mg
Turnip greens, ...
- 761
15
votes
Accepted
Is Spirulina a good source of vitamin B12?
The Vegan Society currently advises that consuming spirulina has not been proven to prevent B12 deficiency. See their open letter on B12 which does not discuss scientific studies in detail, but gives ...
- 11.8k
15
votes
Where does the B12 in vitamin supplements come from?
The vegan society states the following:
In choosing to use fortified foods or B12 supplements, vegans are taking their B12 from the same source as every other animal on the planet - micro-organisms ...
14
votes
Accepted
What are the main nutrient deficiency concerns for vegans?
Nutrients of concern for Vegans
There are a few nutrients that may be more difficult to obtain on a vegan diet as compared to an unrestricted (omnivorous) diet.
b12 Vitamin B12 is easy, cheap, and ...
- 7,098
13
votes
Accepted
Different types of B12?
They are essentially the same molecule, but for one bond: cyanocobalamin has a CN- (cyanide) tied to the cobalt atom, while methylcobalamin has a CH3- (methyl). There are also adenosylcobalamin (also ...
- 1,882
12
votes
Accepted
After how long will one see symptoms of lack of B12?
This depends on the B12 status the person had initially, and probably on other unknown individual factors. While there are no proven natural wholefood sources of B12 that are vegan, it's possible that ...
- 11.8k
11
votes
Accepted
Do vegan diets contain enough calcium?
According to this Medscape article, vegans and vegetarians children can obtain calcium from various sources such as: fortified soy formulas, soy milk, soy cheese, soy yogurt, and various other calcium-...
- 3,691
11
votes
Accepted
When taking B12 supplements, is it a viable strategy to take higher dose every few days as opposed to lower dose every day?
From the Vegan Society:
To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the
following:
Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three
micrograms (...
- 2,424
10
votes
What is a good source of Vitamin B12 for a vegan?
djechlin answer is quite complete. However, as an ex vegetarian I can confirm the importance of taking supplements for ensuring proper levels of B12.
1) Can I live without it safely?
It is not safe ...
- 3,691
10
votes
Vegans: Besides supplements, what can substitute for Calcium?
Dark leafy greens, nuts, and beans seem to be the best sources.
╔═════════════╦══════════════╦═════════════════╗
║ Food ║ Portion size ║ Calcium/portion ║
╠═════════════╬══════════════╬════════...
- 1,882
9
votes
What are the best sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians?
1. General vegetarians (Non-vegans)
For non-vegans, dairy products seems to be the best source, as mentioned in other answers as well. List of top 4 (I'm excluding eggs):
1: Cheese
The amount of ...
- 191
9
votes
How should one adapt a vegetarian diet after breaking a bone?
This answer would be most likely the same for a non-veg*n question, since there is nothing specific that you should look out for as a result of your diet.
The bones are made mostly out of rigid form ...
- 6,109
8
votes
Accepted
Any studies linking vitamin B12, melatonin, and sleep
Those who can't get to sleep at night may need vitamin B12. Studies
show that B12 causes an earlier release of melatonin at night which
resets the sleep-wake cycle. (Melatonin has been called "the ...
- 196
8
votes
Accepted
Which is healthier: beef burgers or vegan burgers?
Health comparison
has there been any studies comparing short-term & long-term health effects of cow vs. vegan burgers
Because cow and vegan burgers are nutritionally different from one another, ...
- 156
7
votes
Accepted
Are (plant-based) vitamin D₂ supplements as effective as vitamin D₃?
Vitamin D is often treated generically, sometimes even not specifying the index. According to this article, there are five Ds (D1, D2, D3, D4 & D5) and only D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (...
- 3,691
7
votes
Accepted
Are there risks from eating too much nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is best consumed in small amounts daily.
Nutritional yeast is a very high source of niacin (Vitamin B3). The tolerable upper limit (TUL) for niacin is set at 30 mg per day because ...
- 7,098
7
votes
Accepted
Does rejuvelac contain B12?
Currently, there seem to be no natural plant food that would contain vitamin B12 in the amounts sufficient for humans.
Some plant foods contain vitamin B12, but this is either inactive - ...
- 691
6
votes
Do vegan diets contain enough calcium?
There are many sources of calcium that come from vegan sources. Soy (soy milk and tofu), oranges, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and beans all contain good sources of calcium, for example. (1,2)
Just eat ...
- 61
6
votes
What are the main nutrient deficiency concerns for vegans?
Whilst the Vegan Society contains a more comprehensive list of the common deficiencies, I'm going to mention vitamin D.
Vitamin D supports your immune system and is thought to contribute to a ...
- 1,172
6
votes
Are vegetarian and vegan micronutrient needs the same as traditional diets?
The matter is vast, so it's difficult to give a complete answer. I start a community wiki and I hope more participants to improve my answer.
Iron requirements
The American Dietetic Association's "...
6
votes
Is Vitamin A plentiful in cooked or raw vegetables?
Sources of Vitamin A
There are two dietary sources of vitamin A:
Taking up retinoids (vitamers of vitamin A) directly, which occurs in animal based, non-vegan food.
Converting a form of provitamin A ...
- 2,315
6
votes
Accepted
How to obtain the best iron absorption from spinach?
It's not the oxalic acid, it's the calcium:
CONCLUSION:
Potassium oxalate did not influence iron absorption in humans from a kale meal and our findings strongly suggest that OA in fruits and ...
- 1,882
6
votes
How to identify a vegan supplement?
If you're just buying at the supermarket, you really can't know. There are lots of hidden animal products, especially in supplements.
My advice would be to purchase them online from an all vegan ...
- 969
6
votes
Does a vegan diet expose us to a higher risk of fractures?
Quick answer: yes, vegan diet can expose to higher risk of fractures.
According to this source, "because vegans do not eat dairy products, their calcium intakes tend to be low.":
Americans are ...
- 3,691
6
votes
Accepted
Can too much B12 be harmful?
As you said, B12 is highly soluble in water and unused quantity is easily excreted from the body as urine. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to get an overdose of B12, even if you exceed the ...
- 2,471
6
votes
Accepted
Do commercial chicken's eggs contain B12?
In nature, poultry get their B12 by pecking for insects and worms in the dirt. Since this behaviour is not possible on industrial farms, B12 is added to animal feed1.
According to the USDA, one ...
- 2,853
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible