Here are three vegan sources of vitamin D you should consider. I hope you’ll find one that suits your lifestyle and dietary needs.
KAMPALA | LIFESTYLE UGANDA (http://lifestyleuganda.com/) — The sun is an excellent source of vitamin D, but not all of us get enough during the winter months. For vegans, getting the vitamin can be a difficult task, especially when their diet is mostly plant-based. But there are some excellent options.
These include mushrooms and lichen, which are derived from Lanolin, which is a vegetable oil. The following are three vegan vitamin D sources that are worth considering. Hopefully, you’ll find one that suits your lifestyle and dietary restrictions.
Cremini mushrooms
The vitamin D content of mushrooms is very high, and these tasty fungi are a great vegan source of the vitamin. Since vitamin D is so important for human health, it’s essential for people to get adequate amounts of the nutrient.
Mushrooms have an exceptionally high vitamin D content for a plant-based food, and one cup of cooked mushrooms contains 10 to 17% of an adult’s recommended daily allowance.
While vitamin D is best obtained from the sun, mushrooms are an excellent source of the vitamin. While you can obtain it from animal sources, they are less bioavailable than their animal-based counterparts.
However, mushrooms are just as effective at elevating blood levels of vitamin D. These mushrooms contain vitamin D3 equivalent to those found in dietary supplements.
And because they are considered a vegan source of vitamin D, they are a great option for vegans and vegetarians.
Lanolin
If you are a vegan, chances are you’ve noticed lanolin as an ingredient in your cosmetics, toiletries, or other items that come in contact with your skin.
But lanolin is more than just an aesthetic ingredient; it can be a valuable dietary supplement as well. Read on to find out more about this essential vitamin. Lanolin comes in two main forms, one produced naturally by animals and the other produced by the sun.
In contrast, vitamin D produced by a plant is called ergocalciferol. This type of vitamin D is more easily absorbed and utilized by the body compared to the more synthetic form. Most of the vitamin D products on the market come from lanolin.
Lanolin comes from sheep’s wool and is also called the wool yolk. It is produced naturally by the sebaceous glands in sheep and is not harmful to the animals, so it is also a suitable vegan source.
Lanolin-derived vitamin D
Many cosmetics and skincare products contain lanolin, which is also an important source of vitamin D. Lanolin is also a commonly used ingredient in medicine and dietary supplements.
If you want to avoid lanolin-derived products, try vegan alternatives, such as beet sugar.
However, be careful – beet sugar does contain animal ingredients. Some vegan products may contain lanolin, as well as other synthetic ingredients.
To extract Vitamin D from lanolin, sheep’s wool must first be cleaned and decontaminated. After this, it is saponified to break down its fatty component into a liquid. The liquid is then centrifuged to remove any impurities.
The remaining lanolin alcohols undergo further purification and chromatography. Afterwards, lanolin is transformed into vitamin D-3. This vitamin is then added to supplements.
Lichen
Lichen, a symbiotic organism derived from algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria, is one of the few known 100% vegan vitamin D sources. Until recently, vegan vitamin D3 was an enigma.
While lanolin has been used for years, lichen requires years to grow and is often subject to environmental contaminants. Thankfully, there are other, more cost-effective vegan sources of vitamin D3.
Many companies make vegan vitamin D3 products from a mixture of lichen fungus and algae species. Lichen is a type of plant-like organism that forms on rocks. It is composed of a composite of algae, cyanobacteria, and fungi and has varying biochemical properties.
The resulting compound is able to be more bioavailable than the constituent organisms. It is also safer than synthetic vitamin D3 and free of hexane, gluten, and artificial colors.
Lichen is one of the few naturally occurring sources of vitamin D, and is also available in supplements. This fungus contains ergosterol, a compound that is converted to vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved UV-treated mushrooms as a vegan vitamin D source. If you can’t stand the sun or lichen, consider eating more fatty foods to maximize your vitamin D absorption.
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