Nutritional Adequacy of a Vegan Diet

Statements of leading expert organizations

In a world saturated with dietary advice and conflicting information, it's crucial to turn to credible sources for guidance. Dietetic organizations and health ministries around the globe have weighed in on the benefits of plant-based diets, providing clear and authoritative statements.

These endorsements highlight the nutritional adequacy and health benefits of a well-balanced vegan diet — and that such a diet can support optimal health at every stage of life. 👇

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, USA

“It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.” (Source)

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of nutrition and dietetics practitioners.

Dietitians of Canada

“Anyone can follow a vegan diet — from children to teens to older adults. It’s even healthy for pregnant or nursing mothers. A well-planned vegan diet is high in fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Plus, it’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol. This healthy combination helps protect against chronic diseases. Vegans have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer than non-vegans. Vegans also have lower blood pressure levels than both meat-eaters and vegetarians and are less likely to be overweight.” (Source)

British Dietetic Association

“Plant-based diets can support healthy living at every age and life stage. But as with any diet, you should plan your plant-based eating to meet your nutritional needs. […] Plant-based diets can help to manage weight and may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.” (Source)

Italian Society of Human Nutrition

“The evidence reviewed in this paper makes it clear that well-planned vegetarian [and vegan] diets that include a wide variety of plant foods, and a reliable source of vitamin B12, provide adequate nutrient intake.” (Source)

Ministry of Health, Israel

“A balanced, healthy and diverse vegetarian and vegan diet can satisfy all our dietary requirements from infancy to old age, while also providing health benefits.” (Source)

National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia

“Appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthy and nutritionally adequate.” (Source)

“Appropriately planned” — what does that mean?

The statements above recommend an “appropriately planned”, “well-planned” or “diverse” vegan diet. Here is why:

While following a vegan diet tends to bring signifiant health benefits, not every vegan diet is automatically healthy. For example, if you eat nothing but potato chips, you technically eat vegan but obviously won’t be healthy in the long run. For optimal health, it’s recommended to eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. For information on critical nutrients, see below.

“The most ethical diet just so happens to be the most environmentally sound diet and just so happens to be the healthiest.”

― Dr. Michael Greger
(best-selling author and internationally renowned health expert)

Critical nutrients

Any diet has critical nutrients. Over the last decades, the vegan diet has been thoroughly examined. This scrutiny benefits vegans by providing clear guidelines.

Plant-based diets are naturally rich in essential nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Provitamin A, Vitamin B1, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and other health-promoting secondary plant compounds and fibers while being lower in unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol.

Plant-based diets may be lower in nutrients like Vitamin B12, Omega-3s, iron, and Vitamin D. Yet, all nutritional needs can effortlessly be met through a balanced vegan diet and, where needed, fortified foods or supplements. It’s important to ensure a reliable source of Vitamin B12.

Overall, an appropriately planned vegan diet is nutritionally adequate and offers significant health benefits. For tips on optimizing your plant-based nutrition, see here.

A common misconception

Many people think that critical nutrients are a topic relevant only for vegans. In fact, nutritional deficiencies can affect people of all diets. For instance, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show a 6.9% and 15% prevalence of B12 deficiency in US adults respectively aged 51–70 and over 70 years, while only 1% of the population live vegan — and the vast majority of vegans ensure a healthy B12 status through supplementation.

In other words: animal products are no reliable source of Vitamin B12. Most people with B12 deficiency aren’t vegan. The most secure way to ensure healthy levels of B12 is supplementation.

“But I don’t like taking supplements — it feels unnatural”

You think an aversion to taking supplements is an argument against living vegan? It isn’t. Consider this:

Firstly, the Vitamin B12 content in animal products is typically from supplements given to farmed animals. Therefore, anyone who consumes animal products is essentially supplementing — but through the bodies of other living beings, which harms animals, humans, climate, and the environment. Direct supplementation is the most efficient, healthiest, and most sustainable way to consume Vitamin B12.

Secondly, an aversion against “unnatural” droplets or pills is actually not an argument against, but an argument for a plant-based diet. A renowned population study from 1976 already made this clear: compared to around 15,000 vegetarians and vegans, people with a meat-based diet were twice as likely to have to take aspirin, sleeping pills, tranquillizers, and blood pressure medication. More recent research has supported these findings — for instance, a 2021 study whose results suggest that a vegan diet reduces the number of medications needed in old age by 58%.

Health benefits

While consuming animal products has been linked to serious health risks, a balanced plant-based diet offers significant health benefits. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the largest body of nutrition and dietetics practitioners in the world, has released an official statement confirming that “vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity. Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (…) contribute to reduction of chronic disease.”

Vegan Horizon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 👇