Ranked by evidence

Best supplements for vegans and vegetarians

A plant-based diet leaves a few specific gaps, and B12 is the one that is not optional. Everything below is ranked by how strong the evidence is for this goal, not by how popular the product is. Items that only matter in a particular situation are labelled that way.

Picks are ranked by the strength of published evidence for this goal in otherwise healthy adults. A persistent symptom needs a clinician's evaluation, and no supplement on this list replaces treatment.

Evidence last reviewed: September 2026

Top picks

Option	Evidence	Best for	The honest note
Vitamin B12	Strong evidence	the one non-negotiable	B12 occurs naturally only in animal foods, so supplementing is the standard recommendation for vegans. Deficiency causes anaemia and nerve damage that can become irreversible, and supplements commonly provide 250–1,000 mcg a day.	View
Algae Omega-3 (Vegan DHA/EPA)	Strong evidence	DHA without fish	Algal oil raised DHA as much as eating salmon, while plant ALA from flax or chia converts to DHA at under 1%. For general needs, 250–500 mg a day of EPA plus DHA is enough.	View
Nutritional Yeast	Moderate evidence	B12 from food, if fortified	A 2-tablespoon serving of fortified yeast supplies 5–20 mcg of B12, far above the 2.4 mcg RDA. Unfortified 'natural' versions contain negligible active B12, so read the label.	View

Solid options

Option	Evidence	Best for	The honest note
Vegan Vitamin D3 (Lichen)	Moderate evidence	vitamin D from a vegan source	Lichen D3 is the same molecule as standard D3, and D3 raises blood levels more than D2, the other vegan option. Correcting a deficiency is worthwhile, but benefits in people with normal levels are modest.	View

Situational

Option	Evidence	Best for	The honest note
Zinc	Moderate evidence	strict vegetarians with low intake	Deficiency is more common in strict vegetarians, and correcting it restores immune function. Needs are only 8–11 mg a day, and long-term doses above 40 mg can cause copper deficiency.	View
Potassium Iodide	Moderate evidence	without iodised salt	Correcting low iodine intake is supported, but the case for a supplement applies only where intake is low; most provide 150 µg. Avoid kelp and high-dose iodine, which can cause thyroid disease.	View
Iron	Strong evidence	confirmed low ferritin	Iron works well when a blood test shows you are deficient, and single doses on alternate days absorb better. Without a documented low ferritin, do not take it.	View
Soy Protein	Strong evidence	plant-based lifters and protein gaps	A complete plant protein that matched whey and other animal proteins for strength and lean mass in training trials. Useful if you find it hard to reach your protein target from food.	View

Popular for this goal — but the evidence says skip

Spirulina Moderate evidence
It contains pseudo-B12 that shows up on assays but is not usable by humans, so it should never be your B12 source.
AFA Blue-Green Algae Limited evidence
Most of its B12 is in analogues humans cannot use, and commercial products have repeatedly been found contaminated with liver toxins.
Flaxseed Oil Limited evidence
Adults convert under 1% of its ALA to DHA, so it does not meaningfully raise omega-3 status.
Sacha Inchi Limited evidence
It is rich in ALA, not EPA or DHA, so it is not a replacement for algal oil.
Omega 3-6-9 Blends Limited evidence
They dilute EPA and DHA with omega-6 and omega-9 you already get plenty of, and some contain only plant ALA.
Vegan Collagen Builder Limited evidence
They contain no collagen, and no trial shows the added vitamin C, amino acids and silica do anything in people eating an adequate diet.

Our verdict

Take B12, from a supplement or fortified nutritional yeast, and algal oil for DHA, and choose lichen D3 if you take vitamin D. Skip spirulina and blue-green algae as B12 sources, and flax, sacha inchi or mixed omega blends as omega-3 sources.