The nurse is caring for a client who reports beginning a vegan diet.
Which of the following vitamins should the nurse recommend?
The nurse is caring for a client who reports beginning a vegan diet.
Which of the following vitamins should the nurse recommend?
A. vitamin C
[4%]
B. vitamin B12
[79%]
C. vitamin A
[4%]
D. vitamin D
[14%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Nutrition
Lesson
Nutrition
Client Need
Test Plan
Basic Care and Comfort
Related Topic
Nutrition and Oral Hydration
Item Type
Item Type
Application
Explanation
Choice B is correct. Vitamin B12 is abundantly present in food products of animal origin. These include eggs, poultry, dairy products, fish, and meat. No strict vegetarian source has sufficient vitamin B12 to meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Vegans refrain from consuming all animal products, including eggs and dairy. Therefore, vegans are at a very high risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency. The vegans' highest risk is for vitamin b12 deficiency, and the nurse should prioritize this recommendation. Vegans should be counseled to consume alternative sources of vitamin B12 such as vitamin B12 supplements and foods fortified with vitamin B12 (fortified nutritional yeasts, fortified cereals) to reduce the significant risk of B12 deficiency.
Choice A is incorrect. Vegans are generally not more prone to vitamin C deficiencies than non-vegans. Vegans consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is present abundantly in fruits (orange, apple, kiwi, etc.) and vegetables (bell peppers, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc.).
Choice C is incorrect. Vegans are generally not more prone to vitamin A deficiencies than non-vegans. Vegans consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A is present in carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, and collard greens).
Choice D is incorrect. While vitamin D is not abundant in a vegan diet, there are still some good vegan sources, including mushrooms, spinach, and bananas. Also, vitamin D can be abundantly obtained from sunlight. Vegans may be more prone to vitamin D deficiency than non-vegans.
Additional Info
✓ Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to fatigue, dementia, glossitis (tongue inflammation), macrocytic anemia (anemia with large red blood cells), pancytopenia (reduced blood counts along all cell lines, i.e., reduced red cells, white blood cells, and platelets), and neurological manifestations ( neuropathy, paresthesias. tingling and numbness in extremities).
✓ Vitamin B12 is abundantly stored in the body (up to 1000 times recommended daily allowance). Therefore, it generally takes several years of suboptimal b12 intake or poor absorption for vitamin B12 deficiency to develop. The population at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency include:
- Vegans who consume no animal or dairy products
- Exclusively breastfed infants of vegan women
- Clients with vitamin b12 malabsorptive conditions ( pernicious anemia, celiac disease, Crohn's disease)
- Clients with gastric bypass surgery or other surgeries where the stomach is removed
- Older adults
- Long term use of proton pump inhibitors
- Long term use of metformin
