Eating a plant-based, vegan diet is extremely healthy and provides an abundance of every single amino acid, mineral, and vitamin — except one: vitamin B12.

Your body uses vitamin B12 to help make DNA, nerve cells, and blood cells. You need B12 for proper nervous system and brain function.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin B12 deficiency is serious and can cause anemia, fatigue, nerve damage, digestive issues, neurological changes like depression and memory loss, paralysis, and even death.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin B12 deficiencies among vegans are very common⁽²⁾ but are also common among meat-eaters,⁽³⁾ especially among older adults; people with genetic markers which hinder B12 absorption; people taking certain medications such as proton pump inhibitors; and people with digestive disorders causing difficulty in absorbing nutrients from food.^{(4, 5)}

The good news is that getting enough vitamin B12 is actually extremely easy, even on a vegan diet. You just have to be responsible about it.

Where Does Vitamin B12 Come From?

It’s well-known that animal products are the only widely-available natural dietary source of B12 available to humans in the Western world, but contrary to what many believe, vitamin B12 isn’t created by animals. 

Vitamin B12 is actually created by certain micro-organisms such as bacteria that naturally live in the soil and digestive systems of animals.⁽¹⁾ Specifically, these bacteria are Propionibacterium shermanii and Pseudomonas denitrificans.

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, contains the mineral cobalt and exists in several forms. Collectively, these B12 compounds are known as “cobalamins.” Bacteria use cobalt in order to synthesize B12. No cobalt = no cobalamins.

Can I Get B12 From Plants?

For much of history, humans could get B12 from bacteria living on the surfaces of foods they would eat.⁽⁶⁾

In modern society, we have the advanced hygiene techniques of modern industrialized farming, which have made it impossible to get adequate amounts of B12 from plant foods alone.

On top of this, most of us are careful to wash and cook the foods we eat, often completely eliminating any vitamin B12 content which may have been present on the surface of those foods.

Can I Get B12 From Algae, Seaweed, Spirulina, Mushrooms, Duckweed, etc?

The jury is still out whether sources other than bacteria cultures, such as algae, seaweed, Spirulina, mushrooms, tempeh, duckweed, and other plant-based foods can be relied upon as primary sources of B12 for vegans.⁽⁷⁾

Until conclusive evidence proving these alternatives raise B12 levels enough to be adequate on their own, they shouldn’t be considered a reliable source of B12.

The science today indicates that only bacteria cultures can be counted on for supplying vegans with adequate amounts of active B12 via supplements and fortified foods.⁽⁷⁾

How Long Can Vegans Live on B12 Reserves?

Vegans can live on B12 reserves for a remarkably long time before developing a B12 deficiency and even longer before showing symptoms of deficiency.

Your liver can store up to 2,000-3,000 mcg of B12, which might not sound like much, but your body only needs about 3 mcg (or about 0.1%) of this to be released every day in order to function properly.⁽⁵⁾

Absorption of B12 increases during periods of low-intake, which can delay vitamin B12 deficiency for up to 20-30 years. 

Types of Vitamin B12

There are currently four forms of vitamin B12,⁽⁹⁾ which can make things confusing when reading the label of a B12 supplement or trying to figure out which form is best for you.

All four forms of B12 have a cobalamin molecule at their center with a side group attached. The side group is where the differences come in.

The 4 forms of B12 are:

• Methylcobalamin
• Adenosylcobalamin
• Hydroxocobalamin
• Cyanocobalamin

Methylcobalamin & Adenosylcobalamin

Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin are naturally-occurring forms of B12. These coenzymes are what all other forms of B12 must be converted into by your body.

Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin are naturally found in animal products. You can also find them in supplements and shots, though they’re usually more expensive and harder to find.

Hydroxocobalamin

Hydroxocobalamin is another naturally-occurring form of B12. To use it, your body has to convert it into the active forms of B12 (methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin).

Like methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin is also naturally found in animal products. It’s the most common form of B12 found in B12 shots and isn’t typically found in other B12 supplements because its hydroxyl side group has the least attraction to the cobalamin molecule, making it the least stable form of B12.

Hydroxocobalamin is best for people who have difficulty absorbing B12 from other sources.⁽¹⁾

Cyanocobalamin

Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of B12. To use it, your body has to convert it into the active forms of B12 (methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin).⁽¹⁾

Cyanocobalamin is the most common form of B12 used in supplements and fortified foods⁽¹⁾ because its cyanide molecule has the most attraction to the cobalamin molecule, making it the most stable form of B12.

Some people question the safety of cyanocobalamin because cyanide is a component of cyanocobalamin and has to be removed from the cobalamin it’s attached to when your body uses it. Rest assured, many fruits and vegetables naturally contain similarly insignificant amounts of cyanide and cyanocobalamin is considered to be just as safe.

However, people with kidney problems should avoid taking cyanocobalamin because their bodies aren’t able to detoxify and eliminate the cyanide molecules in this type of B12 as easily and efficiently as people with normally-functioning kidneys.

Daily Recommendations

Nutritional recommendations for vitamin B12 and other nutrients are developed by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin B12:

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): average daily intake of a nutrient that’s sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.
Adequate Intake (AI): approximate intake assumed to be nutritionally adequate based on limited research, though still not enough evidence to develop an RDA.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): maximum daily intake that’s unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

No upper limits have been set for vitamin B12 intakes because no toxic effects have been identified.⁽¹⁾

Some people may need more B12, such as people who genetically cannot absorb B12 through food, people who are pregnant, or elderly people.^{(1, 3, 4)}

Best Vegan Sources of Vitamin B12

The only significant sources of vegan vitamin B12 are supplements and fortified foods.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin B12 itself is vegan and when found in supplements or fortified vegan foods is sourced from bacteria cultures — not animals — however, some companies will add gelatin to supplements, so you should always read labels.

Vegan B12-Fortified Foods

Some common B12-fortified vegan foods include:

• Fortified non-dairy milk
• Fortified breakfast cereal
• Fortified meat substitutes
• Fortified nutritional yeast

Both brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast don’t contain B12 unless they’re fortified with it. Currently, there’s only one fortified nutritional yeast on the market, Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula.

Vegan B12 Supplements

The most effective way to take B12 supplements varies from person to person.⁽¹⁾

The most common types of vitamin B12 supplements are:

• Pill
• Lozenge
• Liquid
• Nasal gel
• Shot

Most people will be able to prevent B12 deficiency with a daily or weekly dose of pills, lozenges, liquids, or nasal sprays. These supplements are usually sold over-the-counter and are comparable as far as absorption and effectiveness are concerned.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin B12 shots are available by prescription only and are administered by a healthcare professional. They’re generally for people with conditions that interfere with their body being able to absorb B12 from food or over-the-counter supplements, such as people who can’t produce intrinsic factor (a protein that helps B12 get to the small intestine where it’s absorbed).⁽¹⁾

How To Absorb More Vitamin B12 on a Vegan Diet

Most B12 dosage absorption tests are carried out using cyanocobalamin, so you should apply dosage recommendations to cyanocobalamin and adjust accordingly for other B12 forms.

The way your body absorbs B12 isn’t straightforward. Generally, the more B12 you consume at one time, the less of it you actually absorb.^{(1, 10)}

For instance, you can absorb between 50-80% of a 1 mcg dose, but your body needs 2.4 mcg per day, which means you have to take a higher dose to avoid deficiency. But if you double that dose to 2 mcg, now you’re only absorbing 40-50%. 

Absorption rates really nosedive after about 5 mcg and doses above 25 mcg are absorbed at a rate of 5% and under.

Vegan B12 Fortified Foods

In order for your body to absorb enough vitamin B12 from fortified foods it’s recommended to eat fortified foods in a particular way:

• At least 3 servings per day
• Each serving must contain at least 25% of the RDA (found on ingredients list)
• Each serving must be eaten at least 4-6 hours apart

For most people, supplements are a much simpler and more reliable option.

Vegan B12 Supplements

Vitamin B12 supplements are generally more effective when consumed with other B vitamins, especially vitamins B6 (pyridoxine) and B9 (folate). These are called B-complex supplements.

The sweet-spot for cyanocobalamin doses, depending on frequency:

• Daily: ~100 mcg taken = ~2-3 mcg absorbed
• Bi-weekly: ~1,000 mcg taken = ~12.5 mcg absorbed
• Weekly: ~2,000 mcg taken = ~25 mcg absorbed

Because there is no known upper-limit to the amount of B12 we can safely consume, taking a B12 supplement with occasional fortified foods is fine, however, taking above 5,000 mcg per week should be avoided despite the lack of evidence for toxicity from higher amounts.

“Vegan B12 Supplements Aren’t Natural!”

Some ill-informed meat-eaters and paleo cave-dwellers insist that taking a vitamin B12 supplement is ‘unnatural,’ therefore ‘proving’ that veganism itself is unnatural and that vegans should eat more meat.

As already outlined, modern farming practices (which are unnatural themselves) are what have made plant foods become an unreliable source of B12-containing bacteria for humans. Because of this, getting enough B12 can be a challenge for pretty much everyone, whether they’re vegan or not.^{(2, 3, 4)}

Farm Animals Are Given B12 Supplements

This may be surprising to you, but it’s very common for farmers to give B12 supplements to animals in the meat, dairy, and egg industries. So, whether meat-eaters like it or not, they’re already consuming B12 supplements second-hand.

Ruminants

Ruminants are grazing animals (such as cattle, goats, and sheep) that have B12-producing bacteria living in their stomach. Their stomachs contain multiple compartments which helps them to digest their natural diet of grasses. Because the small intestine follows the stomach in the digestive system and B12 is absorbed in the small intestine, ruminants are able to use the B12 made by the bacteria in their stomach.

The bacteria in their stomach need cobalt to produce B12. Cobalt is found in the soil in many parts of the world, but because of modern farming practices very little of it makes its way into livestock feed, making cobalt supplements often necessary.⁽¹¹⁾

Ruminants who eat a diet of grains instead of grasses still often require B12 supplements. Even “grass-fed” animals are usually fed a grain and corn diet in the months before slaughter to fatten them up in a process called “finishing” and receive B12 supplements during that time.⁽¹²⁾

Non-Ruminants

Like humans, non-ruminants like pigs, chickens, and turkeys, have a stomach with only one compartment and don’t have B12-producing bacteria in their stomachs like ruminants do.

Because non-ruminants are typically fed a diet of grains, soy, and other plant foods (which are currently not a significant source of B12 due to modern agriculture), they often need B12 supplements so they don’t become deficient.

Antibiotics

99% of all livestock animals on the planet currently live and die on factory farms, also known as CAFO’s (concentrated animal feeding operations).⁽¹³⁾

These animals live in extremely cramped and filthy conditions, which is a breeding-ground for the bad kinds of bacteria that cause disease. Farmers combat this by pumping livestock with antibiotics. Unfortunately, this also kills the good bacteria that help create vitamin B12, so supplements are often necessary and unavoidable.

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. To make sure your diet is providing you with the correct amount of nutrients your body needs, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist (ie: registered dietitian) with expertise in vegan diets.

Related:

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vegan Protein Sources
• Vegan Folate Sources (Coming soon!)
• Vegan-Friendly Food From Around the World

The post Vegan B12 Sources: The Essential Guide appeared first on Vegan Rabbit.

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s essential for proper blood clotting and bone development. It also may play a role in the prevention of heart disease and osteoporosis.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin K deficiency is rare and usually limited to people who take drugs that interfere with vitamin K absorption (such as antibiotics) and people with gastrointestinal disorders which affect their ability to absorb nutrients from food (such as celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, ulcerative colitis, and short bowel syndrome).⁽¹⁾

Vitamin K1 vs. Vitamin K2

There are two types of vitamin K: phylloquinone (K1) and menaquinones (K2).

There is no evidence that vitamin K2 is better for you than vitamin K1 or visa-versa. Both forms help your body perform the same functions.

Phylloquinone (K1) is found in plants and is most prevalent in leafy green vegetables.

Menaquinones (K2) are produced by bacteria and are found in animal products, certain fermented foods, and the gut.

You don’t need to eat animal products or fermented foods to get vitamin K2. As long as you haven’t been on a significant course of antibiotics recently (which kill vitamin K2-producing bacteria), you likely are already absorbing menaquinones from the bacteria that live in your gut.

Daily Recommendations

Nutritional recommendations for vitamin K and other nutrients are developed by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

Adequate Intake (AI) for Vitamin K:

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): average daily intake of a nutrient that’s sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.
Adequate Intake (AI): approximate intake assumed to be nutritionally adequate based on limited research, though still not enough evidence to develop an RDA.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): maximum daily intake that’s unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

Even with very high intakes, vitamin K toxicity is generally rare. Vitamin K is broken down by the body very quickly and excess vitamin K leaves the body when you use the restroom.

How to Absorb More Vitamin K on a Vegan Diet

Because vitamin K is fat-soluble, you can improve your vitamin K absorption by eating foods rich in vitamin K at the same time as foods with some fat.

Adding a drizzle of olive oil or diced avocado to salads full of leafy greens are just a couple ways to conveniently increase your vitamin K absorption from food.

Best Vegan Sources of Vitamin K

Vitamin K can be found in a wide variety of vegan foods.

Top vegan sources of vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) include:

1. Kale
2. Collards
3. Spinach
4. Broccoli
5. Cabbage
6. Edamame
7. Blueberries

The only vegan food high in menaquinones is natto (fermented soybeans). You can find lower amounts of vitamin K2 in other fermented foods like sauerkraut, vegan kimchi, and unpasteurized kombucha.

Vegans & Vitamin K Supplements

Vitamin K deficiencies are rare because your body recycles vitamin K in a process called the oxidation-reduction cycle.⁽²⁾ You also absorb some vitamin K2 from bacteria that live in your gut.

Newborn infants are at the highest risk of vitamin K deficiency because vitamin K doesn’t cross the placenta and breast milk contains a very low amount.

People who have been on a prolonged course of antibiotics or people with malabsorption conditions may benefit from supplementing vitamin K.

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. To make sure your diet is providing you with the correct amount of nutrients your body needs, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist (ie: registered dietitian) with expertise in vegan diets.

Related:

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vegan Omega-3 & Omega-6 Sources
• Vegan-Friendly Food From Around the World

The post Vegan Vitamin K Sources: The Essential Guide On K1 & K2 appeared first on Vegan Rabbit.

Choline is necessary for healthy cell membranes and maintaining the structural integrity of your body’s cells. It’s also important for proper nervous system function; fat metabolism; and helps regulate your memory, muscle control, and mood.⁽¹⁾

Choline deficiency can cause muscle damage, liver damage, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Extreme choline deficiency is rare, but mild to moderate deficiency is common among vegans and non-vegans alike and usually has no symptoms.

Daily Recommendations

Nutritional recommendations for choline and other nutrients are developed by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

Choline is a vitamin-like essential nutrient which was first discovered in 1862, but was only determined to be a requirement for human health as recently as 1998. Because of this, research on choline is relatively limited.

There is currently still too little information to establish a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) so the recommendation for choline is specified as an Adequate Intake (AI).

Adequate Intake (AI) for Choline:

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): average daily intake of a nutrient that’s sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.
Adequate Intake (AI): approximate intake assumed to be nutritionally adequate based on limited research, though still not enough evidence to develop an RDA.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): maximum daily intake that’s unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for choline is 3,500 mg per day for adults.

Choline is dangerous in high amounts and high intakes of choline are linked to cardiovascular disease. Signs of choline toxicity include fishy body odor, nausea, low blood pressure, heavy sweating, and liver toxicity.

How to Get Enough Choline on a Vegan Diet

Though not technically a vitamin, choline is typically grouped with B-vitamins (i.e., folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and riboflavin) because they work together during many steps of metabolism.

Not getting enough choline from your diet leads to an increased demand for folate and not getting enough folate from your diet leads to an increased demand for a metabolite called betaine. Your body uses choline to make betaine. Thus, eating betaine-rich and folate-rich foods can help reduce your need for choline.

Best Vegan Sources of Choline

Choline can be more difficult to get on a vegan diet because most of the foods highest in choline are animal products, however, most vegans who eat a varied, whole food diet shouldn’t have to worry about choline deficiency.

Top vegan sources of choline include:

• Shiitake mushrooms
• Soy milk
• Tofu
• Wheat germ
• Kidney beans
• Brussels sprouts
• Potatoes
• Quinoa
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Peanuts
• Peanut butter

Top vegan sources of betaine include:

• Quinoa
• Spinach
• Sweet potatoes
• Beets
• Wheat bread, crackers, breakfast cereals, and pasta

For top vegan sources of folate, see my page all about Vegan Folate Sources.

Vegans & Choline Supplements

Choline is toxic at high levels and even moderately high intakes may be linked to cardiovascular disease.

To be safe, aim to get as much choline from your diet as possible and only use a low dose supplement if absolutely necessary.

People who may benefit from a choline supplement include pregnant or breastfeeding women, endurance athletes, postmenopausal women, and people who drink high amounts of alcohol.

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. To make sure your diet is providing you with the correct amount of nutrients your body needs, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist (ie: registered dietitian) with expertise in vegan diets.

Related:

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vegan Folate Sources (Coming soon!)
• Vegan Vitamin B12 Sources
• Vegan Vitamin B6 Sources (Coming soon!)
• Vegan Riboflavin Sources (Coming soon!)
• Vegan-Friendly Food From Around the World

The post Vegan Choline Sources: What You Need to Know appeared first on Vegan Rabbit.

Vitamin A is best known for its key role in eye health, vision, and fetal eye development.⁽¹⁾

Less famously, vitamin A is involved in regulating the growth and differentiation of all cells in the body from conception into adulthood. Vitamin A also helps with cellular communication; it takes part in remodeling bone; and it helps maintain normal immune function by stimulating the production and activity of white blood cells.

Vitamin A deficiency in Western countries is most often limited to people with conditions that interfere with normal digestion. Adults and kids who eat a very limited diet because of poverty or self-restriction are also at risk.

Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include reduced immune function, fatigue, infertility, irregular patches on the whites of the eyes, dry skin or hair, thyroid disorders, and blindness.

Retinoids vs. Carotenoids

Vitamin A is the name of a group of fat-soluble retinoids, including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters.

The two main forms of vitamin A are called preformed vitamin A (retinol) and provitamin A carotenoids.

Your body converts both preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids into the active forms of vitamin A.

Active forms of vitamin A are:

• retinal
• retinoid acid

Preformed Vitamin A (Retinol)

Preformed vitamin A is found naturally in animal products and is also often found in fortified foods and vitamin supplements, though synthetic (vegan) forms are also available.

It’s called “preformed” because your body can use it directly and doesn’t need to be converted.

Preformed vitamin A is:

• retinol
• retinal esters

Provitamin A Carotenoids

Carotenoids are natural plant pigments that make certain foods the colors red, orange, and yellow. They’re only naturally found in plants and are totally vegan.

Your body can use certain types of these pigments to make vitamin A. These are called provitamin A carotenoids.

They’re called “provitamin” because your body uses them to make vitamin A as opposed to being able to use it directly, as with preformed vitamin A.

Provitamin A carotenoids are:

• alpha-carotene
• beta-carotene
• beta-cryptoxanthin

Not all carotenoids are able to be converted to vitamin A by your body. While other carotenoids can’t be used to synthesize vitamin A, they can still be used for other important functions in your body.

Other carotenoids (with no vitamin A activity) are:

• lycopene
• lutein
• zeaxanthin

Daily Recommendations

Nutritional recommendations for vitamin A and other nutrients are developed by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

Recommendations for vitamin A are given as retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to account for the different absorption rates of preformed vitamin A (retinol) and provitamin A carotenoids.

1 mcg RAE equals:

• 1 mcg retinol
• 2 mcg supplemental beta-carotene
• 12 mcg dietary beta-carotene
• 24 mcg dietary alpha-carotene
• 24 mcg beta-cryptoxanthin

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin A:

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): average daily intake of a nutrient that’s sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.
Adequate Intake (AI): approximate intake assumed to be nutritionally adequate based on limited research, though still not enough evidence to develop an RDA.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): maximum daily intake that’s unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

The upper limit for vitamin A is 3,000 RAE for adults. This only applies to the preformed retinol form (found in animal products, fortified foods, and both synthetic and naturally-sourced supplements) and doesn’t apply to vitamin A from carotenoids (found in plants and plant-sourced supplements).

Retinol Toxicity

Vitamin A is fat-soluble, which means any amount your body doesn’t immediately use is stored in your fat tissue and your liver. If too much is stored, it can become toxic.

Even moderately excessive intakes of vitamin A can increase your risk of bone loss and can get in the way of the beneficial actions of vitamin D. If you’re pregnant, vitamin A toxicity can increase the risk of some birth defects.

Carotenoid Toxicity

In contrast to preformed vitamin A, provitamin A carotenoids aren’t toxic even when ingested over long periods at high levels, except for in people with certain health conditions (such as hypothyroidism) which prevent them from converting carotenoids like beta-carotene into retinol.

Carotenoids are antioxidants; the carotenoids your body doesn’t use right away circulate through your body, keeping your cells safe from oxidative stress and damage.

Extremely high levels of beta-carotene from food or supplemental sources can cause a rare and harmless condition called carotenodermia, which turns skin a yellow-orange color. It’s completely reversible by substantially reducing beta-carotene intakes.

How to Absorb More Vitamin A on a Vegan Diet

There’s a lot of variation in different people’s ability to both absorb and convert vitamin A.

Factors contributing to these differences include body composition, age, smoking, medications, alcohol consumption, food processing, and genetic variation. Because a lot of this is difficult to determine, you’re better off eating a diet high in provitamin A carotenoids just to be safe.

You can increase your body’s absorption and synthesis of vitamin A by pairing foods containing provitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene with foods containing fat, like oil or avocados.

Chopping, blending, and cooking help separate carotenoids from the plant proteins they’re associated with, making them easier to absorb.

Best Vegan Sources of Vitamin A

There are many vegan dietary sources of provitamin A carotenoids.

Top vegan sources of vitamin A are:

• Sweet potato
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Cantaloupe
• Red bell pepper
• Squash

Vegans & Vitamin A Supplements

Most people in Western countries are actually at greater risk of getting too much vitamin A than they are of getting too little. This is because many people eat animal products or take high doses of supplements containing preformed vitamin A when they already get enough from their diet.

People who may need to supplement vitamin A are people with conditions that interfere with normal digestion, causing malabsorption of vitamin A. Some of these conditions are celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, and alcoholism.

If taking a vitamin A supplement, it’s often best to take the provitamin A carotenoid form rather than preformed vitamin A, since excesses of the provitamin form don’t contribute to toxic levels of vitamin A accumulating your body.

Smokers should steer clear of high-dose beta-carotene supplements as these have been shown to increase risk of lung cancer.

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. To make sure your diet is providing you with the correct amount of nutrients your body needs, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist (ie: registered dietitian) with expertise in vegan diets.

Related:

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vegan-Friendly Food From Around the World

The post Vegan Vitamin A Sources: Retinol & Carotenoids appeared first on Vegan Rabbit.

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, grow and maintain strong bones, maintain a healthy immune system, and fight inflammation.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in kids and osteomalacia in adults.⁽²⁾ It’s most common in breastfeed infants, older adults, people with limited sun exposure, people with darker-pigmented skin, people who are obese, and people with digestive conditions that interfere with nutrient absorption.

Types of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is not a single compound, but a family of related nutrients.

The most common dietary forms are vitamins D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin D2

Vitamin D2 is only found in vegan sources like fungi and plants.

Most fortified vegan products contain this type of vitamin D.

Vitamin D3

Contrary to popular belief, vitamin D3 isn’t derived exclusively from animal sources. Vitamin D3 is most often derived from an animal source (such as lanolin which comes from wool), but it can also be derived from a non-animal source such as lichen.

Side note: a lichen isn’t a plant, animal, or fungi; it’s a dual organism — two organisms that have joined together to live symbiotically as a single unit (usually a fungi and an algae). Lichens are actually really cool and if you have some extra time, I highly recommend reading about these incredible composite organisms.

Vitamin D3 is slightly better than vitamin D2 at increasing levels of vitamin D in the blood, meaning that vitamin D3 is of higher quality.⁽³⁾

Daily Recommendations

Nutritional recommendations for vitamin D and other nutrients are developed by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D:

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): average daily intake of a nutrient that’s sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.
Adequate Intake (AI): approximate intake assumed to be nutritionally adequate based on limited research, though still not enough evidence to develop an RDA.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): maximum daily intake that’s unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin D is 4,000 IU for pre-teens, teens, and adults.

Effects of vitamin D toxicity include increased risk of pancreatic cancer, bone fractures, and cardiovascular disease.

It’s not possible to overdose on vitamin D from sun exposure, but prolonged exposure to the sun does come with its own health complications such as sunburn, skin cancer, and premature aging.

Best Vegan Sources of Vitamin D

Vegans can get vitamin D from these sources:

• Sunlight
• Mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet (UVB) rays
• Fortified foods
• Supplements

Vitamin D & Sunlight

Sunlight is a vegan’s best source of vitamin D. Your body actually creates vitamin D through a photochemical reaction when your skin (and a compound called 7-dehydrocholesterol within your skin) is exposed to direct sunlight.

Like other animals, when your body creates its own vitamin D from sunlight it makes vitamin D3 (this is why vitamin D sourced from animal products is always D3).

You should aim to get at least one hour (light skin) to two hours (dark skin) of midday sun exposure each week. That means going outside and exposing your skin to the sun — standing by a window won’t cut it.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to get adequate sun exposure, particularly older adults, people who live in colder climates, people who live farther from the equator, people who wear clothing that covers up a lot of skin, and people with darker-pigmented skin.

Vitamin D & Mushrooms

Mushrooms make vitamin D2 when exposed to ultraviolet rays, such as those from the sun or a UVB light.

Boosting a mushroom’s vitamin D content is as easy as taking some mushrooms outside (or setting them under a UVB light) and letting them bask in the sun. Generally, the longer your mushrooms sunbathe, the more vitamin D they’ll make.

Vitamin D Fortified Foods

Fortified vegan foods usually have the same amount of vitamin D as non-vegan sources of vitamin D, sometimes more.

Vegan foods containing fortified vitamin D include:

• Fortified non-dairy milk, yogurt, and butter
• Fortified tofu

Vitamin D Supplements

When looking for vegan vitamin D supplements, your safest bet is vitamin D2 since it’s always derived from plants. It’s best when taken on a daily basis, since its effects are slightly more temporary than those of vitamin D3.

Because vitamin D3 is better at keeping vitamin D levels raised,⁽⁴⁾ it may be a better option for people who don’t plan on taking a daily supplement and who don’t get adequate sunlight each day. Vegans should make absolutely sure the D3 is derived from a vegan source like lichen before buying.

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. To make sure your diet is providing you with the correct amount of nutrients your body needs, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist (ie: registered dietitian) with expertise in vegan diets.

Related:

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vegan Calcium Sources
• Vegan-Friendly Food From Around the World

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