Nutrition
Do vegans need vitamin B12?
Short answer
Yes. B12 is not reliably present in unfortified plant foods. Reliable sources are a supplement and fortified foods (some plant drinks, cereals, fortified nutritional yeast).
This is not a matter of opinion – B12 supplementation on a plant diet is a standard recommendation from the NIH, BDA and NHS. Deficiency can cause anaemia and nerve damage, and symptoms take years to show.
Do not rely on ferments or algae – their B12 content is unreliable. Simplest: a cyanocobalamin tablet (25–100 µg daily or 1000 µg 2–3 times a week) or regular fortified foods. It is not a weakness – it is responsibility that many non-vegans would benefit from too.