Vegetarier-Check — Vegetarian/Vegan Screen

Targeted nutritional assessment for plant-based diets: ferritin, folate, and vitamin B12. At €29.14, the essential trio of nutrients most commonly deficient in vegetarians and vegans. A practical annual check for anyone on a restricted diet.

This focused panel targets the three nutrients most commonly deficient in vegetarian and vegan diets. Vitamin B12 is found exclusively in animal products — strict vegans have a near-100% probability of developing deficiency without supplementation, typically within 2–5 years of adopting a fully plant-based diet. B12 deficiency causes macrocytic anaemia and neurological damage (peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairment, depression) that can become irreversible if prolonged. Ferritin measures iron stores rather than circulating iron, making it a more stable and diagnostically reliable marker. Plant-based (non-haem) iron is absorbed at roughly 5–12% efficiency compared to 15–35% for haem iron from meat, making iron deficiency more common in vegetarians despite often adequate dietary iron intake. Ferritin below 30 ng/mL is associated with fatigue and hair loss even when haemoglobin is normal. Folate (vitamin B9) is typically abundant in plant-based diets rich in leafy greens, legumes, and fortified foods. However, testing is warranted because folate deficiency causes identical haematological changes to B12 deficiency (macrocytic anaemia), and distinguishing between the two has treatment implications — supplementing folate in B12-deficient patients can mask the anaemia while neurological damage continues. This panel provides a cost-effective annual check for anyone on a plant-based diet. If all three results are normal, diet and supplementation strategy are adequate. If any are deficient, targeted supplementation and dietary adjustment can be guided by the specific results.