Coroner Elizabeth Gray concluded that Georgina Owen died by suicide while suffering from delusional beliefs directly resulting from a vegan diet she took up in 201615:41, 20 May 2026A university student took her own life while suffering delusional beliefs caused by a byproduct of her vegan diet, an inquest has concluded.Georgina Owen, 21, of Saffron Walden, Essex, adopted her vegan diet in 2016 over "environmental concerns", a move that deprived her of foods rich in vitamin B12, a vital nutrient found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Cambridgeshire area coroner Elizabeth Gray wrote that in August 2019 the student's family noted she had not been taking her vitamin B12 supplements for at least six months.Miss Owen, who the coroner said had admitted to forgetting to take the supplements, died by suicide in September 2019 after exhibiting "unusual, erratic behaviour".READ MORE: Tragedy as schoolgirl, 14, who was daughter of UK property tycoon found dead at homeREAD MORE: Student, 21, took own life after prescription drug caused suicidal thoughtsThe student was due to return to Swansea University on September 19 that year, but was found at her home address, together with a note. Emergency services called to the address were able to rescuscitate her, and she was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, where she sadly died two days later on September 21.Ms Gray said Miss Owen had "reported to her family that she had bought an organic B12 supplement from Canada, the dosage of which would be 1mg once per day, oral spray". She added: "Miss Owen's family report that Miss Owen had demonstrated unusual, erratic behaviour in the period leading up to her death, and they provided diaries written by Miss Owen which they suggest demonstrates her erratic behaviour and a deterioration in her mental health in the immediate period before her death."The coroner added a psychiatrist had that concluded Miss Owen's diary entries, viewed on their own, do not provide evidence that she was planning to end her life. But the psychiatrist said her final note "does provide evidence of a possible mental illness and that on the balance of probabilities, at the time Miss Owen was writing this last note, she was experiencing delusions" and that "psychiatric manifestations caused by vitamin B12 deficiency are recognised".Blood tests were found to be "consistent with vitamin B12 deficiency" and the coroner concluded this "likely resulted from Miss Owen's vegan diet of around three years duration". In her conclusion, the coroner said Miss Owen took her own life "whilst on the balance of probabilities suffering delusional beliefs brought about by a vitamin B12 deficiency developed as a direct result of her vegan diet."She said that an expert report "concludes that Miss Owen's vague signs of cognitive impairment, anxiety, difficulty with simple decision making and fatigue as described by her family in the period before her death suggest a gradually developing psychiatric disorder culminating in the delusional beliefs expressed in Miss Owen's final letter".She said that Miss Owen, who started studying geography at Swansea University in the academic year 2017/18, was described by the university as "vibrant, full of enthusiasm, passionate and well-liked by her peers and lecturers". She had been due to return to university on September 19 2019, being driven there by her mother, and "had made plans to go surfing over the weekend".Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and specially fortified foods. The NHS website advises that a deficiency can lead to problems including psychological problems, which can range from mild depression or anxiety to confusion and dementia, as well as extreme tiredness, muscle weakness and problems with vision and memory.Article continues belowSamaritans (116 123 in UK and Ireland) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.