Foods that are rich in zinc include soy, nuts, seeds and fortified cereals ( Saunders, Med J Aust 2013). The RDA of zinc for adults is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for most women (women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more), so men and women following a vegetarian or vegan diet may need closer to 17 mg and 12 mg daily, respectively, if obtained exclusively from food.įortunately, following a well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet that includes good food sources of zinc and includes steps to reduce phytate intake should be sufficient to meet zinc requirements. Consequently, vegetarians and vegans may require as much as 50% more of the RDA for zinc than non-vegetarians. ZincĬompounds called phytates occur in legumes and grains and can interfere with zinc absorption. If you need to supplement with iron to meet your daily nutrient requirements, see our Top Pick among iron supplements.īe aware that iron supplementation can cause constipation, nausea, diarrhea, stomach erosions and ulcers, so it is a good idea to have your hemoglobin and ferritin levels checked by your doctor before starting an iron supplement. However, since iron from plant sources is absorbed half as well as that from animal sources, strict vegetarians or vegans may need to consume almost twice as much iron from their foods, as other people, and this may be hard to get from foods alone. Most people are able to meet their daily nutrient requirement for iron by eating foods such as meat, poultry, and fish, as well as dried fruits, grains, and green leafy vegetables. See our Top Pick among B-12 supplements, as well as a suitable option for people wanting to avoid the cyanocobalamin form of B-12, although there is little scientific rationale for this concern ( Plotnikoff, Nutrients 2023). Keep in mind that B-12 will get absorbed just as well as from an oral tablet as sublingual tablets, and sublingual tablets and other specialty forms often contain sugar substitutes that can cause gas, bloating or diarrhea.
A 3-month study among vegans and vegetarians with marginal B-12 deficiency showed that supplementing with 50 mcg of sublingual B-12 daily or 2,000 mcg weekly could restore adequate B-12 levels. Consequently, these foods are not considered reliable sources of this vitamin ( Plotnikoff, Nutrients 2023).Ĭonsequently, people who are strict vegetarians or vegans may need to supplement with vitamin B-12. Note that fermented soy (e.g., miso, tempeh), shiitake mushrooms, algae, and unfortified nutritional yeast contain vitamin B-12, but not the active form. Although cereals, milks and yogurts that are fortified with B-12 may provide sufficient B-12 for vegetarians, unfortified, plant-based foods are generally not good sources. Vitamin B-12 is found most abundantly in meats, poultry and fish. This may occur with vitamins B-12 and D, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and, possibly, protein.īelow are strategies for meeting daily nutrient requirements through dietary modifications or supplementation, and ways to find supplements that don't contain ingredients objectionable to people following vegetarian or vegan diets. For this reason, vegetarian or vegan diets may not meet all the daily nutrient requirements, and supplements may be necessary. Some vitamins and nutrients are found in abundant quantities in meat, poultry and fish but not in plant-based foods (unless they have been "fortified," i.e., nutrients have been added).
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