What supplements do vegans need besides B12?
Summary
B12 is the one nutrient you can't reliably get from plant foods alone, so it's non-negotiable. Beyond that, a few nutrients deserve attention depending on your diet and where you live: vitamin D3 (especially at higher latitudes), DHA/EPA omega-3 from algal oil, and iodine if you don't use iodised salt — with zinc and calcium worth a thought depending on food choices. Most of these come from ordinary varied eating or a single daily multivitamin; only B12 is truly essential for everyone.
Evidence Summary
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics confirms that well-planned vegan diets are nutritionally adequate for all life stages (Melina et al., 2016). However, "well-planned" is doing important work in that sentence. Beyond B12 -- which is non-negotiable -- several nutrients require conscious attention on a vegan diet. ## Vitamin D3 Vitamin D deficiency is common across all dietary patterns, particularly at latitudes above 35 degrees north or south, during winter months, and among people with