Vitamin B12 And Vegans

What nutrients do vegans need to make sure they’re getting?

Some websites I’ve been on say that the only thing missing in a vegetarian/vegan diet is vitamin B12, but my parents (who are against me being vegetarian and making my way towards being a vegan) don’t buy it. They say that vegetarian sites are all biased and I won’t be able to get trace elements without eating meat. (Also, I almost never consume dairy products) What are trace elements? Is it possible to get them in a vegan diet? What foods are they in? Thanks!

There’s no reliable regular source of vitamin B12 in a plants only diet because it’s a product of bacteria– the only known vitamin to be exclusively produced by microorganisms and nowhere else in nature. It ends up regularly in animals because bacteria produce it inside an animal’s digestive system, or the animal eats it and it ends up in them– and other animal products.

Here’s the position paper of the American Dietetic Association on vegetarian and vegan diets with specific information on vegetarian/vegan nutrition http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/veg.pdf

I’m vegan.

Why we need Vitamin B12 Vegans watch out you need this one!

Red Star Nutritional Yeast – VSF Mini Flake — 5 oz Each $5.29 This Vegetarian Support Formula is a vegan staple. Great for giving a tasty “cheesy” flavor to foods while providing a rich source of B vitamins. Kosher. Ingredients: Inactive dry yeast, niacin (B3), thiamin hydrochloride (B1), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), Vitamin B12. Labeled as being processed in a facility that processes soy, wheat, milk, and egg….

Bob’s Red Mill T6635 Large Flake Yeast, 8-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4) $31.75 Vegetarian support formula. This is the original, good-tasting vegetarian nutritional supplement, rich in B vitamins, including B-12. Food yeast has a pleasant-tasting, cheesy flavor and can be used foods as a condiment, It can be added to your favorite cake or cookie recipe. It can be used by those sensitive to other yeasts. Bob’s Red Mill products labeled gluten free are batch tested in our qual…

VegLife – Vegan Kids Multiple Berry – 60 Chewable Tablets $5.83 Description: FUN! Kids love the great tasting natural berry flavor. Quality: Vegan Kids™ Multiple is a premium quality multiple-vitamin formula with whole food concentrates. It provides a range of nutrients in optimum potencies to help keep children healthy and is 100% free of animal by-products. Tooth Friendly: Vegan Kids™ Multiple does not promote tooth decay b…

KAL – Yeast Flakes $16.39 …

Sundown Vitamin B12 Complex Sublingual Liquid, 2 Oz $2.88 INDICATIONS: Sundown Vitamin B12 Complex Sublingual Liquid, 70102151 offers a distinct advantage over conventional nutritional supplements….