Intake of vitamin B12 and other characteristics of women of reproductive age on a vegan diet in Australia

Objective: (i) To examine demographic and health characteristics of women of reproductive age on a vegan diet in Australia and compare these to the general population; (ii) to identify sources and intake of vitamin B-12 and compare intake to current recommendations and (iii) examine associations between participant characteristics and adequacy of vitamin B-12 intake. Design: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected via an online survey. Demographic and health characteristics of women on a vegan diet were compared with women in the general population (using Australian Bureau of Statistics data). Intake of vitamin B-12 was estimated using a FFQ and estimation of supplemental intake. Setting: Australia. Participants: Participants (n 1530) were women aged 18-44 years who had been on a vegan diet for at least 6 months. Results: While BMI, smoking habits and intakes of fruit and vegetables compared favourably with the general population, 26 % of respondents had estimated intakes of vitamin B-12 below recommendations. Analyses of relationships between vitamin B-12 intake and participant characteristics revealed that the strongest predictor of intake was supplementation (P < 0 center dot 001); however, 25 % had not supplemented with vitamin B-12 in the past 3 months. Conclusions: The vitamin B-12 intakes of a substantial proportion of Australian women of reproductive age consuming a vegan diet do not meet the recommended intake, which could adversely affect their health, and, if they are pregnant or lactating, that of their infants too. There is a need for further research in this area to identify effective strategies to address this situation.

Automated summary

This study examined demographic and health characteristics of Australian women of reproductive age on a vegan diet, compared their vitamin B12 intakes to recommendations, and found that a significant proportion of participants had inadequate intake. Results showed that supplementation was the strongest predictor of intake, but a quarter of participants had not supplemented with vitamin B12 in the past 3 months. Further research is needed to address this issue.