VEGANALYZEVitamin B12 Requirement
Vegans who live on a vegan diet for an extended period of time need to consume foods fortified with vitamin B12 to meet their daily requirement and prevent a deficiency of B12. This is because the body's own reserves of 2.5 mg are gradually depleted. Generally, the body loses about 0.1 to 0.2% or 1 μg of the reserves per day 1 2.
Daily Requirement of Vitamin B12 - NIH
The recommended daily requirement for adults and adolescents in the United States is 2.4 µg (= 0.0024 mg). Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to pay particular attention to ensuring adequate supply for themselves and their growing child (including the fetus) since a vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to serious developmental damage. 3.
Recommended Daily Requirement of Vitamin B12 (NIH) 4:
| Gender and Age Group | Amount in µg |
|---|---|
| Men | |
| ≥ 19 years | 2.4 |
| Women | |
| ≥ 19 years | 2.4 |
| Pregnant | 2.6 |
| Breastfeeding | 2.8 |
| Children / Adolescents | |
| 0 to < 6 months | 0.4 (estimated value) |
| 7 to < 12 months | 0.5 |
| 1 to < 3 years | 0.9 |
| 4 to < 8 years | 1.2 |
| 9 to < 13 years | 1.8 |
| 14 to < 18 years | 2.4 |
| 13 to < 19 years | 3.0 |
Daily requirement for Vitamin B12 according to EFSA
For comparison: In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued intake recommendations to meet the vitamin B12 requirements (AI) 5:
| Gender and Age Group | Amount in µg |
|---|---|
| Men | |
| ≥ 18 years | 4 |
| Women | |
| ≥ 18 years | 4 |
| Pregnant | 4.5 |
| Breastfeeding | 5 |
| Children / Adolescents | |
| 7 to 11 months | 1.5 |
| 1 to < 3 years | 1.5 |
| 4 to < 6 years | 1.5 |
| 7 to < 10 years | 2.5 |
| 11 to < 14 years | 3.5 |
| 15 to < 17 years | 4 |
According to a 2010 study, in healthy individuals aged 18 to 50 with normal absorption, a vitamin B12 intake of 4 to 7 µg per day is associated with optimal blood levels of vitamin B12-related biomarkers. 6.
Meeting daily requirements
In a few plant-based foods containing vitamin B12 such as nori, chlorella, and dried shiitake mushrooms, it is very difficult to meet the vitamin B12 requirement.
To meet the need for vitamin B12, The Vegan Society recommends the following 7:
- consume foods fortified with B12 with every meal (provides 3 µg per day)
- or take a daily B12 supplement with at least 10 µg
- or take a supplement with at least 2,000 µg per week
It is also possible to take 1,000 µg twice a week, as most supplements are available in 1,000 µg doses.