A university student who was concerned about the environment died by suicide amid an onset of 'delusions' that stemmed from her vegan diet, an inquest has found.
Georgina Owen, 21, from Saffron Walden in Essex, had been following a plant-based diet since 2016 due to her environmental concerns. However, she was suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency in the latter months of her life.
The University of Swansea student, described as 'vibrant, full of enthusiasm', took her own life in September 2019. This occurred a month after her family noticed she had not been taking her vitamin B12 supplements for at least six months.
Vitamin B12 is essential for the production of red blood cells and the maintenance of the nervous system and DNA. It is naturally found in shellfish, meat, dairy, and eggs, but is difficult to obtain through an exclusively vegan diet. Vegans must rely on supplements or fortified foods to meet their needs. A deficiency can lead to anaemia and neurological and psychological issues.
Miss Owen told her family she had 'forgotten' to take her supplements but had bought an 'organic' Methyl-cobalamin B12 spray from Canada to supplement. However, a coroner's court heard that post-mortem blood tests showed she was B12 deficient.
Elizabeth Gray, area coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, reported that Miss Owen had demonstrated 'unusually erratic behaviour' in the period leading up to her death, and her personal diaries showed a 'deterioration' in her mental health.
She said: 'Miss Owen's family reported that in the recent period before her death she was dwelling on the state of the world and her place in it. Miss Owen was meditating frequently, and she reported to her family a recent meditation event where she had experienced an out of body experience which she had found to be very distressing.'
Her family arranged psychological support for what they recognised as anxiety, and planned to drive her back to Wales on September 19, 2019, as she prepared to resume her studies, having planned to go surfing over the weekend. However, later that same day, she was found hanged at her home address. Medics resuscitated her using CPR and she was transported to Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital, where she died two days later.
Ms Gray noted that investigations were carried out after her death to assess whether she had been deficient in vitamin B12 'as a result of her vegan diet' and, if so, whether the deficiency caused her to suffer 'psychiatric manifestations'. Three experts reviewed her blood tests and found that the results were consistent with B12 deficiency, while a report noted that she had 'vague signs of cognitive impairment, anxiety, difficulty with simple decision-making and fatigue'. Her symptoms, the report said, suggested a 'gradually developing psychiatric disorder culminating in the delusional beliefs' that she expressed in a note that was found with her body.
Recording a narrative conclusion, the coroner noted that the student died whilst 'on the balance of probabilities suffering delusional beliefs brought about by a Vitamin B12 deficiency developed as a direct result of her vegan diet.'
The Vegan Society recommends that all vegans take B12 supplements or risk symptoms ranging from loss of energy to hallucinations and personality changes. It warns in its guidance: 'If for any reason you choose not to use fortified foods or supplements you should recognise that you are carrying out a dangerous experiment - one that many have tried before with consistently low levels of success.'
Miss Owen's father Julian, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, previously told the Daily Mail prior to the conclusion of the inquest that he feared a vitamin B12 deficiency played a part in her death. 'Georgina only sporadically took B12 supplements. Sadly she became psychotic and took her own life suffering an “acute delusional episode”,' he said. 'I strongly believe that B12 deficiency may well have had a role to play.' He has since co-founded CluB-12, a research group aiming to advance the research into and understanding of vitamin B12.
B12 deficiency is thought to affect around three per cent of those aged 20-39 years old; in vegans of all ages, the rate may be as high as 11 per cent. For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit www.thecalmzone.net/get-support.
