Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and keeps bones, muscles and the immune system working normally. Many people take it as a supplement, but few know where the vitamin D in their tablet comes from. For most vitamin D3 supplements, the answer is sheep's wool.
Where does the vitamin D3 in supplements come from?
Most vitamin D3 is made from lanolin, also called wool wax or wool grease. Sheep secrete lanolin to waterproof their wool, and it is collected when the wool is cleaned. Manufacturers take a cholesterol-like compound from it and expose it to ultraviolet light, the same reaction that makes vitamin D3 in your skin.
Is vitamin D from lanolin bad for you?
No. Lanolin-derived vitamin D3 is the same molecule your skin makes, and it raises vitamin D levels effectively. Lanolin is also used in skincare and leather care, but that says nothing about the vitamin D made from it. The real reason some people avoid it is simple: it comes from an animal, so it is not vegan.
Do you need a vitamin D supplement at all?
Many people do. Using a cutoff of 20 ng/mL, an analysis of 2005-2006 national data found about 42% of US adults fell short; a later CDC analysis of 2011-2014 data found 5% of Americans at risk of deficiency and 18% at risk of inadequacy. Your skin's output depends on season, latitude, skin tone, age and time spent outdoors, and in winter at most US latitudes it makes little. Sunscreen blocks UVB in the lab, but real-world studies show little evidence that it lowers vitamin D levels, so keep wearing it. Our guide to sources of vitamin D covers sun and food.
What is the plant-based alternative?
Lichen, a partnership between a fungus and an alga, makes vitamin D in UV light; researchers have found both vitamin D2 and D3 in lichen. That makes lichen one of the few non-animal sources of D3, the form that raises blood levels more than D2 in trials. Read more in what is lichen and why take vegan vitamin D.
Our Sol Food tablets provide 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 from lichen, not lanolin, in one small organic, vegan tablet. Most adults need 600 IU a day, or 800 IU after 70, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU. If you are pregnant, have kidney disease or take prescription medicines, check with your doctor first.
