Do vegans need creatine supplements?

Yes. No plant-based food contains creatine. Endogenous synthesis provides approximately 1 g/day, but studies show vegans have significantly lower muscle creatine stores. 3 g/day of creatine monohydrate is the evidence-based recommendation.

106 sources — meta-analyses, RCTs & guidelines Independent — selected on evidence, not commission Open data — all rules and sources transparent

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Q: Which supplements should vegans take?

Based on 106 scientific sources, vegans should supplement 6 nutrients: Vitamin B12 (1000 mcg 2x/week), Vitamin D3 (25-50 mcg daily), Omega-3 DHA/EPA (300-500 mg daily from algae oil), Iodine (150 mcg daily), Selenium (100 mcg daily), and Creatine (3 g daily).

Q: How much vitamin B12 do vegans need?

1000 mcg of cyanocobalamin (sublingual), taken twice per week. This form has the strongest evidence base and is recommended over methylcobalamin for general supplementation.

Q: What is the best vegan omega-3 supplement?

Algae oil containing both DHA and EPA, 300-500 mg combined daily. ALA from flaxseed converts at only 2-5% to DHA, which is insufficient. Algae oil provides DHA and EPA directly without the fish.

Q: Is this protocol medical advice?

No. NutraProtocol is a non-medical nutritional baseline for healthy adults. It does not replace professional medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have existing conditions, consult a healthcare provider first.

Six nutrients need extra attention on a vegan diet. This protocol turns 106 scientific sources into one clear plan — exact dosages, timing, and product selection.

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The six nutrients

Vitamin B12

1000 µg · 2x/week

Cyanocobalamin (sublingual)

No plant-based source exists. 52% of vegans have low B12 status.

Vitamin D3

25–50 µg · daily

Vegan cholecalciferol (oral)

UV is too weak for synthesis October–March in Northern Europe.

Omega-3 DHA/EPA

300–500 mg · daily

Algae oil DHA + EPA (oral)

ALA-to-DHA conversion is only 2–5%. Vegans have structurally low DHA.

Iodine

150 µg · daily

Potassium iodide (oral)

Seaweed iodine content varies 10–100x between products.

Selenium

100 µg · daily

Selenomethionine (oral)

Western European soil is selenium-poor; plant foods vary unpredictably.

Creatine

3 g · daily

Creatine monohydrate (oral)

No plant food contains creatine. Endogenous synthesis provides ~1 g/day.

Why these six — and no more

Inclusion criteria

Structurally low intake in plant-based diets (not situational, not seasonal)
Convergent evidence: ≥3 independent streams (meta-analyses, RCTs, biomarker studies, guidelines)
Safe for long-term daily use (dosages well below upper limits)
Simple to execute as a daily routine (no complex schedules or cycling)

What we evaluated and excluded

Iron — deficiency is situational, not structural for all vegans; requires individual testing
Zinc — adequate intake achievable through normal varied plant diet
Calcium — achievable through fortified foods (plant milks, tofu)
Vitamin K2 — insufficient evidence for universal supplementation
Choline — insufficient evidence for universal supplementation

Full evaluation details: non-recommendations.json

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Machine-readable data

For developers & AI agents

Discovery: /.well-known/protocol.json
One-shot summary: /vegan-baseline/summary.json
Full decision rules: /vegan-baseline/protocol-engine.json
Evidence scoring: /vegan-baseline/evidence-scoring.json
LLM context: /vegan-baseline/llms.txt
Open datasets: CSV & JSON exports (CC BY 4.0)

Frequently asked questions

Which supplements should vegans take?

Based on 106 scientific sources, this protocol identifies 6 nutrients that require supplementation on a vegan diet: Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Omega-3 DHA/EPA (from algae), Iodine, Selenium, and Creatine. Each passes strict inclusion criteria requiring convergent evidence from multiple independent research streams.

How much vitamin B12 do vegans need?

1000 µg of cyanocobalamin (sublingual), taken twice per week (e.g. Monday and Thursday). This form has the strongest evidence base. Methylcobalamin is not recommended as the primary form due to lower stability.

What is the best vegan omega-3 supplement?

Algae oil providing 300–500 mg of DHA + EPA combined, daily. Plant-based ALA (from flaxseed, chia) converts to DHA at only 2–5%, which is insufficient. Algae oil is the only vegan source of preformed DHA and EPA.

Do vegans need creatine?

Yes. Creatine is found exclusively in animal tissue. Vegans have significantly lower muscle creatine stores compared to omnivores. 3 g/day of creatine monohydrate is the evidence-based recommendation for maintaining optimal levels.

Is this medical advice?

No. NutraProtocol provides a non-medical nutritional baseline for healthy adults (18+). It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have health conditions, consult a healthcare provider.

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