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Analytical Review on Nutritional Deficiencies in Vegan Diets: Risks, Prevention, and Optimal Strategies
Anshika Malhotra, Ankita Jagannath Lakade. Journal of the American Nutrition Association, 2025-02-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Factors like health concerns, environmental issues, and ethics have driven the rapid rise in veganism's popularity over the last decade. While studies confirm that veganism reduces the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, significant challenges persist in meeting nutritional needs. This review identifies critical dietary deficiencies common in vegan diets, including inadequacies in vitamin B12, iron, calcium, vitamin D, Iodine, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, and explores strategies to mitigate these risks. These deficiencies result in chronic diseases like anemia, osteoporosis, and neurological disorders. Hence, this review observes the clinical literature to establish causes and will discuss a supplement strategy to enhance these deficiencies. Economic accessibility to fortified foods and supplements poses additional challenges, particularly for low-income individuals or regions with limited access to vegan-friendly products. Addressing these barriers is essential to make vegan diets viable for all. Many of these nutrients, predominantly found in animal products, are difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts through plant-based diets alone, leading to potential health risks like anemia, osteoporosis, and neurological disorders. This study evaluates clinical literature to pinpoint the causes of these deficiencies and examines effective supplementation strategies to address them. Beyond highlighting the challenges, it discusses the environmental benefits of veganism, showing how plant-based diets significantly reduce water usage, land pressure, and greenhouse gas emissions. The study concludes that while a poorly planned vegan diet can lead to nutritional inadequacies, with proper dietary planning and personalized supplementation, vegan diets can support long-term health and promote environmental sustainability. Recommendations from experts are also included for tailoring vegan diets to meet individual health needs effectively.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Malhotra, A., & Lakade, A. J. (2025). Analytical Review on Nutritional Deficiencies in Vegan Diets: Risks, Prevention, and Optimal Strategies. Journal of the American Nutrition Association. https://doi.org/10.1080/27697061.2025.2461218
Vancouver
Malhotra A, Lakade AJ. Analytical Review on Nutritional Deficiencies in Vegan Diets: Risks, Prevention, and Optimal Strategies. Journal of the American Nutrition Association. 2025. doi:10.1080/27697061.2025.2461218. PMID: 39936826.
BibTeX
@article{malhotra2025-39936826,
author = {Malhotra, Anshika and Lakade, Ankita Jagannath},
title = {{Analytical Review on Nutritional Deficiencies in Vegan Diets: Risks, Prevention, and Optimal Strategies}},
journal = {Journal of the American Nutrition Association},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1080/27697061.2025.2461218},
pmid = {39936826},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/27697061.2025.2461218}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- While studies confirm that veganism reduces the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, significant challenges persist in meeting nutritional needs.
- These deficiencies result in chronic diseases like anemia, osteoporosis, and neurological disorders.
- Beyond highlighting the challenges, it discusses the environmental benefits of veganism, showing how plant-based diets significantly reduce water usage, land pressure, and greenhouse gas emissions.
- The study concludes that while a poorly planned vegan diet can lead to nutritional inadequacies, with proper dietary planning and personalized supplementation, vegan diets can support long-term health and promote environmental sustainability.
Why it matters
This review is about nutritional deficiencies in vegan diets and strategies to prevent them, not about Alzheimer's disease. It provides no information relevant to treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 35/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 34 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 35 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Nutrition Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of the American Nutrition Association: journal h-index 25 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Ankita Jagannath Lakade holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Amity University: institution h-index 253 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39936826) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 34 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 34 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 35 out of 100. |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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