The tragic death of a university student linked to a vitamin deficiency thought to be triggered by her vegan diet has sparked fears about the safety of the plant-based lifestyle. Georgina Owen, a 21-year-old from Essex, had avoided meat, dairy, eggs, and all other animal products for three years due to environmental concerns.
The bright and able geography student took her own life while suffering delusional beliefs brought about by a vitamin B12 deficiency developed as a result of her vegan diet, an inquest heard. Her death has reignited debate over the safety of the trendy diet, which studies suggest can also increase the risk of depression, bone fractures, and even miscarriages.
An estimated 3.5 million people in the UK are now thought to follow a vegan diet, according to research by comparison site Finder, with numbers steadily increasing since 2023, mainly driven by concerns about the environment. Its popularity has also surged due to the so-called Veganuary trend, where people adopt the diet for January. It is thought that as many as a fifth of Britons now take part in Veganuary.
Experts say that, with the right precautions, a vegan diet offers several health benefits. Studies show that vegans are less likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than meat eaters. However, experts caution that veganism can also trigger harmful vitamin deficiencies.
Chief among these is a lack of vitamin B12, a nutrient crucial to healthy bodily function that is not found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. Instead, vitamin B12 is primarily found in meat, fish, milk, and eggs, all products that vegans do not consume. Research shows vitamin B12 is essential for the proper function of blood vessels and brain tissue. For this reason, the NHS advises that vegans take a daily vitamin B12 supplement.
Dr. Julian Owen, a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, previously told The Daily Mail that vitamin B12 is fundamental to the human body and almost entirely absent from a vegan diet. He warned that if supplements are not taken, after six months of going vegan, people can start to experience neurological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and even psychosis.
Experts believe it was her failure to take a vitamin B12 supplement that led to Georgina Owen's death. The Swansea University student had not been taking her vitamin B12 supplements for at least six months prior to her suicide, the coroner was told. Instead, she had switched to an organic B12 oral spray supplement that delivered around one microgram of the vitamin daily. Adults need about 1.5 micrograms according to the NHS, roughly equivalent to one chicken breast, three eggs, or two cups of milk.
Elizabeth Gray, the coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, concluded that a vitamin B12 deficiency caused Miss Owen to suffer anxiety and psychiatric manifestations before her death. Experts say pregnant women are most at risk of B12 deficiency because they are more likely to have low levels initially. In 2022, a major research paper published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that vegan diets could be dangerous for pregnant women, putting them at risk of pregnancy complications, low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, and miscarriages.
Research shows that the first symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are often fatigue, brain fog, muscle weakness, and tingling in the hands and feet. However, experts say a vegan diet can trigger other serious deficiencies beyond vitamin B12. In 2018, a University College London study warned that a lack of nutrients in a vegan diet, such as calcium, zinc, and high-quality protein, could leave children malnourished and with irreversible nerve damage.
In 2021, experts raised alarm over the increasing popularity of dairy alternatives such as oat and almond milk, now consumed by a third of Britons, after government figures revealed that nearly half of all girls aged 11 to 18 had an iron deficiency. Dairy milk is an important source of iron, needed to make red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. Countries such as Spain and Germany already actively warn parents against putting their children on a vegan diet.
