Plant-based supplements are supplements made without animal-derived ingredients: vitamins and minerals in vegan forms, omega-3 from algae, plant proteins, and fruit or herbal extracts. "Plant-based" describes what is left out, not that every nutrient was grown in a plant. If you eat a plant-based diet, the supplements that matter most are vitamin B12, which every vegan needs, followed by vitamin D, iodine, omega-3 from algae and, depending on your diet, iron, zinc and calcium. Choose by these nutrients, not by botanical promises.
Key facts: nutrients to watch on a plant-based diet
- Vitamin B12: plant foods contain no reliable amounts. The Swiss FSVO recommends a B12 supplement for vegans; EFSA sets an adequate intake of 4 µg a day for adults.
- Vitamin D: EFSA reference intake 15 µg (600 IU) a day; few foods supply it, and vegan sources are fortified foods, vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 from lichen.
- Iodine: EFSA adequate intake 150 µg a day. Without dairy and fish, iodised salt is the main dependable source.
- Omega-3: EFSA adequate intake 250 mg EPA + DHA a day; the vegan source of EPA and DHA is microalgae oil.
- Iron: EFSA reference intake 16 mg a day for women before menopause and 11 mg for men; iron from plants is less well absorbed than iron from meat.
- Calcium: EFSA reference intake 950 mg a day for adults from 25; fortified plant drinks and calcium-rich mineral water help.
What are plant-based supplements?
Plant-based supplements are food supplements that contain no animal ingredients. The term is used loosely and covers several kinds of products:
- Vegan vitamins and minerals: multivitamins or single nutrients such as B12 or vitamin D, produced without animal ingredients and in vegan tablets or capsules.
- Omega-3 from algae: microalgae oil, the plant-based alternative to fish oil.
- Fruit and herbal extracts: for example acerola, elderberry, green tea or guarana. Acerola is a natural source of vitamin C; for most botanicals, no health claims are authorised.
- Plant proteins and fibre: pea, rice or hemp protein, and fibres such as psyllium.
Most vitamins in vegan supplements are made by fermentation or synthesis, and minerals come from mineral salts. That is normal and not a quality problem. If you want certified organic ingredients, that is a separate standard; see what "organic" means for supplements.
Are supplements the same as herbal medicines?
No. Food supplements are foods: they complement the diet and may only carry authorised nutrition and health claims. Herbal medicines are medicinal products that are approved, in Switzerland by Swissmedic, for a defined use. A plant extract in a supplement is therefore not a medicine, even if the same plant is used in one.
Which nutrients matter most on a plant-based diet?
Systematic reviews comparing vegans with people on mixed diets report lower intakes or status of vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iodine and zinc, and often lower iron stores, while fibre, folate, vitamin C and magnesium tend to be higher. That gives a clear order of priorities:
| Nutrient | Why it matters | Plant sources | Supplement option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | Contributes to normal red blood cell formation and nervous system function | Only fortified foods | Essential for vegans |
| Vitamin D | Contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and immune function | Fortified foods, UV-exposed mushrooms | D3 from lichen or D2, especially in winter |
| Iodine | Contributes to normal thyroid function | Iodised salt; seaweed is unreliable | Check with your doctor, especially around pregnancy |
| Omega-3 (EPA + DHA) | Contributes to normal heart function at 250 mg a day | Flax, chia and walnuts provide ALA, not EPA/DHA | Microalgae oil |
| Iron | Contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin | Pulses, tofu, wholegrains, seeds | Only after a blood test |
| Zinc | Contributes to normal immune function | Pulses, nuts, seeds, oats | Moderate dose in a multivitamin |
| Calcium | Needed for the maintenance of normal bones | Fortified plant drinks, tofu, kale, mineral water | Only if diet falls short |
Vitamin B12 deserves special attention because stores last for years and a shortfall can develop unnoticed. Our guide to vitamin B12 needs and deficiency signs explains testing and doses, and our iodine guide covers iodised salt and seaweed.
Do plant-based supplements work?
Vegan vitamins and minerals work in the same way as their non-vegan counterparts, because the molecules are the same. Vitamin B12 is made by bacterial fermentation either way, and vitamin C from acerola or from synthesis behaves identically in the body. Two differences are worth knowing:
- Vitamin D: vitamin D3 raises blood levels more effectively than D2. Vegan D3 from lichen is now widely available.
- Omega-3: the body converts only a small share of plant ALA into EPA and DHA, so algae oil is the direct vegan source.
Botanical extracts such as ashwagandha, turmeric, spirulina or green tea are widely studied, but no health claims are authorised for them in the EU or Switzerland. Treat promises about energy, "detox" or brain performance from plant blends with caution.
Which plant-based multivitamins are well absorbed?
Absorption depends far more on the nutrient form and how you take it than on whether the product is vegan. Look for named forms on the label, take the multivitamin with a meal for the fat-soluble vitamins, and combine plant iron with vitamin C, for example from fruit, while keeping coffee and tea for later. Soaking, sprouting or fermenting pulses and grains reduces phytate, which otherwise lowers iron and zinc absorption.
Are plant-based supplements safe?
Plant-based does not mean free of risk. Herbal extracts can interact with medicines, seaweed and kelp products can contain very high and variable amounts of iodine, and ingredients such as guarana or green tea may contain caffeine. Keep your total intake of each nutrient below the safe upper limits, and ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding.
How to choose the best plant-based supplements
- Vegan certification: a vegan label or a clear "vegan" declaration. Watch for gelatine capsules, shellac or carmine coatings, and vitamin D3 from lanolin (sheep's wool), all of which are animal-derived.
- Vitamin B12 included, with the amount per daily dose and % NRV.
- Vitamin D form: D3 from lichen or D2, stated on the label.
- Iodine: a defined amount rather than "kelp powder" of unknown content.
- Doses close to 100% NRV rather than megadoses, and no stacking of products with the same nutrients.
- Transparent extracts: the share of each plant extract stated, and no disease claims.
For a step-by-step label check, see how to choose a good multivitamin. If you are unsure whether you need a supplement at all, start with which dietary supplements are most useful, and for whom.
Where Sanbera fits in
All four Sanbera formulas are vegan and made in Switzerland. The daily formulas combine plant extracts with twelve vitamins and six minerals. Per daily serving of 3 tablets:
- Daily Essential Women, with black elderberry and acerola extracts: vitamin B12 1.88 µg (75% NRV), vitamin D 3.22 µg (64% NRV), iodine 37.5 µg (25% NRV), iron 7 mg (50% NRV), zinc 2.5 mg (25% NRV), selenium 12.5 µg (23% NRV) and calcium 120 mg (15% NRV).
- Daily Essential Men, with guarana (a source of caffeine) and acerola: vitamin B12 1.88 µg (75% NRV), vitamin D 3 µg (60% NRV), iodine 37.5 µg (25% NRV), iron 3.5 mg (25% NRV), zinc 4 mg (40% NRV), selenium 12.5 µg (23% NRV) and calcium 120 mg (15% NRV).
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation and the normal function of the nervous system, iodine contributes to normal thyroid function, and zinc and selenium contribute to the normal function of the immune system. To be honest about the limits: neither formula contains omega-3, and depending on the rest of your diet, a vegan diet may still call for a separate vitamin B12 or vitamin D supplement. Your doctor can check your levels.
Frequently asked questions
Are plant-based vitamins better for you?
Not in themselves. Vegan vitamins and minerals are usually the same molecules as non-vegan ones, so they work the same way. What makes a product better is the nutrient form, a sensible dose close to 100% of the NRV and a transparent label. The main exception is vitamin D, where D3, available in vegan form from lichen, raises blood levels more effectively than D2.
Do plant-based supplements work?
Plant-based vitamins and minerals work as well as other forms, and they are essential in one case: vitamin B12 for vegans. Algae oil reliably provides EPA and DHA. For herbal extracts the picture is different: many are studied, but no health claims are authorised for them, so effects promised for plant blends are not established.
Are plant-based supplements safe?
Generally yes, when doses stay within the safe upper limits. Risks come from megadoses, from combining several products with the same nutrients, from seaweed products with very high iodine content and from herbal extracts that can interact with medicines. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting.
Is plant-based the same as vegan?
Not always. Vegan means the product contains no animal-derived ingredients at all, including capsule shells, coatings and the source of vitamin D3. "Plant-based" is not a protected term and is sometimes used for products that are mainly, but not entirely, plant-derived. If you avoid animal products completely, look for an explicit vegan declaration or label.
What is the best supplement for vegans?
Vitamin B12 is the one supplement every vegan needs, because plant foods contain no reliable amounts. After that, vitamin D in winter, iodine if you rarely use iodised salt, and omega-3 from algae are the most common additions. A vegan multivitamin can cover several of these at once, but check that it contains enough B12 for your needs.
Sources
- Neufingerl N, Eilander A (2021): Nutrient intake and status in adults consuming plant-based diets compared to meat-eaters: a systematic review. Nutrients
- Bakaloudi DR et al. (2021): Intake and adequacy of the vegan diet: a systematic review of the evidence. Clinical Nutrition
- Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO/BLV): Need for food supplements: only in certain life situations
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Dietary Reference Values finder
- Tripkovic L et al. (2012): Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B12, Health Professional Fact Sheet
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.