Blood count

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) — optimal range for vegans & vegetarians

Average size of red blood cells.

Optimal range

82–98 fL

How a value is read

Deficient	< 80 fL
Below optimal	80 – 82 fL
Optimal	82 – 98 fL
Above optimal	98 – 100 fL
Markedly high	> 100 fL

Bands are given in the marker's canonical unit; values in other units are converted automatically.

Why it matters on a plant-based diet

Differentiates anemia: low MCV (<80) → iron deficiency; high MCV (>100) → B12/folate deficiency. If both coexist, MCV can look deceptively normal.

A single marker decides nothing

Deficiencies mask one another: high folate hides low B12, inflammation inflates ferritin, low zinc mimics iron deficiency. VEGALYSIS reads the whole picture and explains the links.

Analyse my labs

Units

VEGALYSIS accepts any of these units and converts the value to the canonical one.

Names seen on lab reports

mcv · mean corpuscular volume · средний объем эритроцитов · mcv эритроцитов

Sources

Nutritional Assessment of the Plant-Based Patient: Seven Key Questions (Nutrients 2023)

Related markers

Educational material; not a substitute for a clinician's advice.