Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency is very uncommon. However, it can develop
in strict vegans as Vitamin B12 is only found in meat or food
derived from animal products, such as dairy products and eggs.
No active form of B12 is found naturally in plant foods (and that
includes soya products). Therefore individuals following a vegan
diet should include a fortified source of B12 in the diet such as
soya bean milk fortified with B12 or take a vitamin B12 supplement.
However, if you eat dairy products and eggs they will provide you
with sufficient amounts of B12. The current recommended nutrient
intake (RNI) is adequate for all requirements apart from cases of
malabsorption (impaired absorption of nutrients).
Zinc
It has been reported that vegetarians have a lower zinc status
than non-vegetarians. This may be due to the fact that cereals,
legumes, nuts soya products and eggs are secondary sources of zinc.
However there is no indication that vegetarian athletes or
non-athletes need to include Zinc supplements in the diet. The best
sources of Zinc are crab, shrimps and oysters.
