Micronutrients & recovery
Vegan diets result in significantly lower intakes of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Zinc compared to meat-eaters, often falling below Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNI).
If you follow a vegan diet, you must monitor your intake of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Zinc, as these are significantly lower than in meat-eaters and often fall below recommended levels. Supplementation or fortified foods are likely necessary.
Vegans had the highest intakes of fibre, vitamin B1, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium and iron, and the lowest intakes of retinol, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and zinc.
Why this rating
Large cohort data clearly identifies the gaps, though actual intake may be higher due to fortified foods not fully captured.
Source
EPIC–Oxford:lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33 883 meat-eaters and 31 546 non meat-eaters in the UK
Gwyneth K. Davey et al. · Public Health Nutrition · 2003
DOI 10.1079/phn2002430
More from this paper
- Adopting a vegan diet significantly reduces saturated fatty acid intake to approximately 5% of total energy, which is less than half the intake observed in meat-eaters (10-11%).Good
- Vegan diets are associated with the lowest mean Body Mass Index (BMI) across all age groups compared to meat-eaters, fish-eaters, and vegetarians.Good
Related findings · Micronutrients & recovery
- Trans fats (industrial trans-fatty acids) are unequivocally harmful and should be completely avoided as they raise LDL-C, TGs, and Apo B while lowering HDL-C.Strong
- For menopausal women with osteoporosis, first-line pharmacologic therapies include alendronate, risedronate, zoledronic acid, and denosumab for the prevention of hip, nonvertebral, and vertebral fractures.Strong
- Folic acid fortification of flour prevents neural tube birth defects, and mandatory fortification is more effective than voluntary supplementation alone.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →