May 30, 2026 · 33 min · 14 segments
The recent, tragic, case of Georgina Owen has highlighted in the most devastating circumstances the critical importance of Vitamin B12 in a vegan diet. Vegan Society dietitians, Emily Angus and Amber…
Emily AngusGuest
Amber WoodhouseGuestDamian WatsonHostOn the 18th of May 2026, Elizabeth Gray, who's the area coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough here in the UK, published her record of the inquest into the death of Georgina Owen in 2019.
She was a student at Swansea University and was described as bright and able, and vibrant and full of enthusiasm.
The coroner was told that Georgina had not been taking her vitamin B12 supplements for at least six months prior to her suicide.
Instead, she had switched to an organic B12 oral spray supplement, which she then forgot to take.
The coroner found that, and these are the coroner's words: "Georgina's final note provided evidence of a possible mental illness, and that on the balance of probabilities at the time Miss Owen was writing her final note, she was experiencing delusions, and that psychiatric manifestations caused by vitamin B12 deficiency are recognized.
Blood tests carried out on Miss Owen's postmortem blood revealed a vitamin B12 deficiency, which on the balance of probabilities was as a result of her vegan diet." End quote.
Now, clearly this is an absolutely horrendous story, and everyone at The Vegan Society would like to pass on our heartfelt and sincere condolences to Georgina's family and friends.
It's a story that's been all over the media here in the UK and beyond, so if any good can come of this, it's that more people, not just vegans, but especially vegans, might be made aware of the importance, the vital importance of B12 supplementation.
That's something we at The Vegan Society have been stressing since the science behind B12 became available, and it's something that our UK registered dieticians, Emily Angus and Amber Woodhouse, talk about all the time.
On the 18th of May 2026, Elizabeth Gray, who's the area coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough here in the UK, published her record of the inquest into the death of Georgina Owen in 2019.
She was a student at Swansea University and was described as bright and able, and vibrant and full of enthusiasm.
The coroner was told that Georgina had not been taking her vitamin B12 supplements for at least six months prior to her suicide.
Instead, she had switched to an organic B12 oral spray supplement, which she then forgot to take.
The coroner found that, and these are the coroner's words: "Georgina's final note provided evidence of a possible mental illness, and that on the balance of probabilities at the time Miss Owen was writing her final note, she was experiencing delusions, and that psychiatric manifestations caused by vitamin B12 deficiency are recognized.
Blood tests carried out on Miss Owen's postmortem blood revealed a vitamin B12 deficiency, which on the balance of probabilities was as a result of her vegan diet." End quote.
Now, clearly this is an absolutely horrendous story, and everyone at The Vegan Society would like to pass on our heartfelt and sincere condolences to Georgina's family and friends.
It's a story that's been all over the media here in the UK and beyond, so if any good can come of this, it's that more people, not just vegans, but especially vegans, might be made aware of the importance, the vital importance of B12 supplementation.
That's something we at The Vegan Society have been stressing since the science behind B12 became available, and it's something that our UK registered dieticians, Emily Angus and Amber Woodhouse, talk about all the time.
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