GPs
Nutrition
Our 'Plant Based nutrition' booklet contains guidelines for a balanced vegan diet, including recommended intakes and food sources of various nutrients. If you are in the UK, please contact us if you would like a free paper copy.
Our nutrition pages provide information on various nutrients including calcium, essential fatty acids, iodine, iron, protein, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and zinc.
More in-depth information about vegan diets can be found in our publication 'Plant-based nutrition and health' by Stephen Walsh PhD.
Prescribing
When prescribing medicines for a vegan patient, it is good practice for you to ensure that the drug that you prescribe is free from animal ingredients.
The website www.medicines.org.uk contains the patient information leaflets for drugs licensed for use within the UK. You can then check whether the product that you were considering prescribing contains animal ingredients. If it does, the website will then allow you to check alternative products with the same active ingredient.
Obvious animal ingredients to look out for are lactose, shellac, gelatine and beeswax, but there are others. If you are unsure as to whether a particular ingredient is of animal origin, you can contact the manufacturer for clarification. Alternatively, your patient may know themselves whether a particular ingredient is of animal origin.
Other health information
Contraceptives
Diet and bone health
Soya Allergy
Soya and health
Weight loss and gain