Vitamin D3 for Vegans - many studies

Many suppliers of Vegan Vitamin D - July 2025

Amazon had >1000 Vegan D3 supplements
Amazon had >100 Lichen D3 supplements

Vitamin D intake and status in children and adolescents: Comparing vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous diets - Ovt 2024

Acta Paediatrica https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.17463 behind paywall
Chandra Sekhar Devulapalli

Aim
This study aimed to evaluate papers analysing dietary intake, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and anthropometry in children on vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets, as research indicates all diets generally fall below recommended vitamin D intake.

Methods
This mini review examined the vitamin D status of children aged 1–18 years by systematically searching PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2023.

Results
The review included nine studies published between 2000 and 2023.

• Four studies reported lower vitamin D intake in children on vegetarian and vegan diets compared to omnivores.
• Three studies reported lower 25(OH)D concentrations in children on vegetarian and vegan diets.
  • Specifically, one study found lower concentrations in vegans compared to omnivores,
  • another found lower concentrations in vegetarians and vegans not taking supplements and a
  • third reported lower 25(OH)D concentrations in Asian children aged 3–4.5 years compared to Caucasian children.
• Three studies found no significant differences in 25(OH)D between diet groups.
• Three studies assessing anthropometry showed that vegetarians have similar body weight and height as omnivores.

Conclusion
Children across all dietary groups may have low vitamin D intakes; supplementation should be considered for those with inadequate sun exposure, especially those avoiding animal products.

Vegans more likely to have <10 ng of Vitamin D - Spain Feb 2024

Bone Remodelling, Vitamin D Status, and Lifestyle Factors in Spanish Vegans, Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians, and Omnivores
Nutrients. 2024 Feb 2;16(3):448. doi: 10.3390/nu16030448.
Elena García-Maldonado 1, Angélica Gallego-Narbón 1 2, Belén Zapatera 1, Alexandra Alcorta 1, Miriam Martínez-Suárez 1, M Pilar Vaquero 1

Sustainable healthy diets are promoted, and consequently vegetarian diets are currently increasing. However, scientific information on their effects on bone health is scarce. A cross-sectional study was performed in adults (66% women) classified into three groups: omnivores (n = 93), lacto-ovo vegetarians (n = 96), and vegans (n = 112). Nutrient intake, body composition, physical activity, vitamin D status (25-hydroxycholecalciferol, 25-OHD), parathormone (PTH), and bone formation (bone alkaline phosphatase, BAP) and resorption (N-telopeptides of type I collagen, NTx) markers were determined. Lacto-ovo vegetarians and especially vegans showed lower protein, fat, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D, retinol, iodine, and zinc intakes, and higher carbohydrate, fibre, carotenes, magnesium, and vitamin K intakes compared to omnivores. Body composition was similar in the three groups that performed vigorous physical activity regularly. Body bone mass and muscle mass were positively correlated with BAP, and time performing physical activity with 25-OHD. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (25-OHD < 75 nmol/L) was 93.7% in the studied population, and vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD < 25 nmol/L) was significantly higher in vegans. Vegetarians of both groups had increased PTH and NTx with vegans showing significantly higher PTH and NTx than omnivores. Conclusion: Adult vegetarians, especially vegans, should reduce the risk of bone loss by appropriate diet planning and vitamin D supplementation.
 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life

Vegan infants often need more Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Iodine, Selenium - Dec 2024

Toward Supplementation Guidelines for Vegan Complementary Feeding
Food Sci Nutr. 2024 Nov 1;12(12):10962-10971. FREE PDF
Christian Koeder 1

Previously published recommendations for vegetarian (including vegan) diets for children have highlighted the need for vitamin B12 supplementation. Increased attention to several other key nutrients (including iodine, vitamin D, calcium, and iron) has also been recommended. However, an overview focusing on supplementation guidelines, specifically for vegan infants, has not been published, and a potential requirement for iodine and/or selenium supplementation in (some) vegan infants has not been discussed. Vegan complementary feeding should be supplemented (particularly with 5 μg/day of vitamin B12 and 10 μg/day of vitamin D). Iodine should be supplemented (up to 110 μg/day) if the intake of breast milk and infant formula is low, and selenium supplementation (5 μg/day) should be considered in regions with low soil selenium levels. Caution is required to avoid excessive intakes of iodine and particularly selenium. Supplements for vegan infants are on the market, and observational studies are urgently needed to assess the nutrient intake (including supplements) and status in vegan infants.

Vegan form of Vitamin D3 - made from Lichen

Vitashine
They developed a process to make a Vitamin D3 spray from Lichen and coconut oil
Can be sprayed into the mouth or onto food (vegetables of course)
The vitamin D3 spray they sell it is somewhat expensive
1 spray = 200 IU, 150 sprays per bottle or 30,000 IU per bottle
3 bottles in US$ for $38.85 which includes delivery
The cost is $0.43 per 1000 IU
The lowest cost by non vegan suppliers is less than 1 cent per 1,000 IU
So, their Lichen spray is about 43X more expensive than the capsule form from sheep (it apparently costs the company 1000X as much the Vegan form)
As of October 2011 they appear to be the only registered supplier of Vegan D3, but I anticipate competition

Q /A with the company Nov 1, 2011

1. Where do your lichen live - in the ocean?, in an aquarium?, ....
   No, they live on land and grow wildly in many areas.
   We obtain our strain from various mountainous regions in Asia and USA (designated areas, not taking from open land – i.e. not taking food from wildlife for instance).
   We can’t divulge the exact strain, again for confidentiality reasons.
2. Are the lichen totally under the water, totally in the air, or some mix?
   Totally in the air.
3. Do you add extra UV (pot growers and many others have found the UV helps a lot)
   This is the important bit.
   Altitude is absolutely key to ensure the right balance between UV exposure and surviving the elements (temperature, nutrients etc.).
4. How long do the lichen take to grow to be harvestable? days, months, years,
   Lichens take a long time to grow, and of course with possible seasonal variations with temperature and UV levels, we work with multiple growing sites.
   This allows us to not only ensure we achieve a good yield based on the season but also cope with the slow growing rate.
5. What % by weight is the vitamin D3 (and, if you should happen to have it, what the % is for D3 from wool)
   It takes around 500kg of dry lichen material to obtain 1kg of our extracted Vitamin D3 rich oil.
   The level of D3 in that oil varies from batch to batch so we of course dose Vitashine accordingly.
   The process for wool D3 is very different and they simply sell high D3 quantity materials, standardised to specified levels.

There is quite a lot of information here: http://vitashine-d3.com/vitashine.html
Attached to the bottom of this page is Sept 2001 paper on Lichens and Vitamin D

Vitamin D3 and many co-factors from marine algae

Google Shopping "vitamin code raw calcium"   Made by Garden of Life
75 capsules for $18 + shipping: approximately 30 cents per capsule, 5 capsules per serving, so $1.50 per serving
Capsules made from plant sources
1,600 IU of vitamin D3, 756 mg Calcium, 100 mcg of Vitamin K2, 356 mg of Magnesium, 3 mg Boron, 2.2mg Silicon, 3.8 mg Strontium
Price per 1,000 IU is about $1.00 - VERY expensive

Vitamin D from algae probably has contains microplastics than from sheep - July 2025

 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life

Be careful to avoid multivitamins which contain Vitamin D2

These are mainly vegan vitamin D - it was not until mid 2011 that a vegan D3 became available from two suppliers (and much more expensive)
It appears that vitamin D2 sometimes actually DECREASES vitamin D3 in the body

Global Health Trax added July 2012

Made by Vetashine - at top of this page. Sprays and gel caps - 5000 IU

Vegan topical patch added Oct 2014 (expensive)

Vitamin D3 5000IU Sunshine Patches Topical 32 day supply, Amazon $22
Vitamin D 5,000 IU is Vegan Plant-Derived (wild lichen ?)
+250mg Magnesium +120 mcg of Vitamin K2 (MK-7)
Comment by Vitamin D Life: Unaware of any data, but it appears that all three can be absorbed thru the skin.

6+ Vitamin D Life pages have VEGAN in the title

The list is automatically updated

See also Vitamin D Life

• Get active vitamin D by eating Solanum Glaucophyllum leaves – Sept 2013 active Vitamin D3 from a plant
• Low Cost vitamin D - including liquid, bulk, spray, Kosher, . .
• Various plants have vitamin D3 and D2 – review May 2013
• All items in category Forms of Vitamin D 115 items
• Perhaps wool allergy is the cause of some Vitamin D allergy

See also web

• UK review of D3 for vegetarians or vegans Jan 2012 mostly sheep-wool based products
• Vitamin D: Is supplementation a non-negotiable? at Happy Cow Veggie Blog July 2012
• Vegan form of Omega-3 announced June 2015
• UVB exposure stimulates production of vitamin D3 in selected microalgae - Nov 2021 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2021.102472
• Lichens and the Meaning of Life March 2023 - nothing about vitamin D

short URL = http://is.gd/VeganD3

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