The shelves in drugstores and pharmacies are full of vitamin supplements, many target vegetarians and vegans. What is really useful – and what are the means? “Test” has looked.
Vitamin B12 supplements are essential for vegans – and all tested by Stiftung Warentest funds from drug stores, pharmacies and the Internet are also suitable. The magazine “Test” tested a total of 15 dietary supplements for vegetarians and vegans. Ten of them are suitable, they cost between nine cents and one euro per day.
The testers tested seven vitamin B12 supplements and eight combination remedies containing other nutrients in addition to B12 to determine if they are safely and reliably dosed. Accordingly, all seven B12 preparations are suitable, in the combination preparations, there are three. Five combo remedies are unsuitable because the nutrient information is not correct or they carry no German labeling.
Combi preparations are according to ” test ” but not necessary for vegetarians or vegans. Vegetarians did not need any dietary supplements, but for vegans vitamin B12 is “essential”. B12 occurs almost exclusively in animal foods and is involved in cell division and blood formation.
Pregnant women, nursing women, children and adolescents are advised against the German Nutrition Society because of their high nutritional requirements .