Best Vegan Vitamin D supplements

Vegan Vitamin D Buyers Guide

What are the benefits of vitamin d?

• Regulation of Calcium and phosphate levels in the blood
• Healthy bones
• Supporting the immune system
• May play a role in cancer prevention
• Supports healthy insulin regulation

No matter whether you are vegan or meat-eater, vitamin D is critical to the health of your body, and making sure your body is getting enough is something we all need to understand how to do. Nutrition.org recommends for the majority of people to have a vitamin d tablet since food alone is not usually sufficient especially for those who live in colder climates

For an in-depth breakdown of vitamin D and the best way for vegans to make the most of it, check out our vegan vitamin D nutrition guide.

What are some Excellent plant-based sources of vitamin D for vegans?

New data has also come out linking the Solanaceae family of foods (Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers) as a potential plant-based vitamin D source . We find it best to incorporate all plant-based foods with vitamin D content to create a balanced diet with mushrooms as your first go-to source and others as secondary sources. 

Want to find out more about brilliant vitamin D sources? Check out our 5 best vegan foods high in vitamin d.

What do we look for in a quality vitamin D supplement?

How much vitamin d do you get per serving, and does it meet the RDA?

Pay close attention to the amount of Vitamin D you are getting per serving as many companies will provide much more than the recommended amount. The recommended daily amount is between 600 IUiu -800 IU of vitamin d.

Source of vitamin D

Vitamin D Cofactors

Choosing a supplement with cofactors that enhance vitamin d absorption is key to getting all the health benefits that vitamin d can bring, such as healthy bones and the maintenance of your immune system.

Key nutrients that enhance the uptake of vitamin D:

Each of these nutrients allows the body to utilize vitamin D more effectively, so it is essential to look out for these as additional ingredients when trying to choose one product over another.

Remember also that vitamin d requires fat for optimal absorption since its an oil-soluble vitamin. So a vitamin D supplement with oil added to the formula, e.g., coconut oil may provide additional absorption benefits

Supplement form

There are four primary forms of vitamin d supplements: Liquid, drops, capsule, tablet.

The best value for money vitamin d supplements tends to be in tablet form. You can either get sublingual, which dissolves in the mouth or oral, which dissolve in the stomach. Overall slightly slower absorption than a spray or liquid, but you get better value for money with a tablet/lozenges since you get many more servings per bottle. 

One thing to take note of is some sublingual supplements can contain added sugar which may potentially cause stomach issues so make sure you’re not sensitive to certain sugars before purchasing

Liquids and sprays are great options for those who want the quickest release of vitamin D into their system. A great benefit of liquids and sprays is the ability to make them taste better with simple ingredients. The other advantage of a liquid or spray over a lozenge is that they have fewer ingredients overall, so you don’t usually have to worry about any unnecessary additives. 

The least popular but still effective option is gummies, which are chewable forms of vitamin D very similar to sweets and mainly used for younger adults or children (or for adults with a sweet tooth).

The main downside to a gummy is that they tend to contain pectin, which some people are sensitive to. 

*Always make sure there is no gelatin used to form the chewable/gummy*

Yeast, Corn, Soy, and Gluten-free and other additives?

For those with allergies or a sensitive digestive system, you should avoid yeast corn gluten and sometimes soy.

For those with intolerances, we recommend choosing a supplement that is hypoallergenic, which will mean a much lower chance of allergic reactions or digestive issues after consumption.

The best vegan vitamin d supplements will have minimal additives. 

What we are looking for is clean ingredients with a small ingredients list. Some companies add extra ingredients to “fill” out their formulas. This is not always beneficial for vegans who want to stick to a strict diet without additional foods that may take up calories in their diet. For anyone looking to keep their body as healthy as possible with minimal digestive issues, a small ingredient list is the way to go.

Vegan label and Non-GMO?

Always lookout for a vegan label on the product to ensure that the supplement is free from animal products. The two main things vegans need to watch out for in the case of animal products are gelatin in the casing of the supplement and the source of vitamin d.

Vitamin d2 is safe for vegans, but vitamin d3 can be taken from animals, mainly from the wool of sheep so check the labeling before purchasing to make sure the vitamin d3 source is vegan friendly.

Value

Vitamin D2 vs D3 in supplements

• Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol): Mainly found in plants especially mushrooms
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): Found predominantly in animals, especially fish and wool-bearing mammals, also found in blue-green algae specifically lichen.

Studies have showcased that vitamin D3 supplementation was better at raising overall vitamin d levels in the blood than vitamin D2 which is why most supplement manufacturers focus on vitamin D3. While alternative research has shown that when taking regular doses of 1000 IU in both vitamin D2 and D3, they were equally as effective.

 The general takeaway at this point would be to focus on the form that all studies say works well, which is vitamin D3, and gain your supply of vitamin D2 from plant-based foods.  

Conclusion

Vitamin D is required for healthy bones, blood, and nervous system functionality. Everyone is susceptible to vitamin D deficiency since the range of foods with high vitamin D content is limited. As vegans, we have it slightly harder since our range of foods with high vitamin d content is even more limited than meat-eaters. Fortunately, this is easily remedied with the right food choices consisting of mushrooms, blue-green algae, and fortified foods supported with a healthy plant-based D3 supplement. Our top pick for vegan vitamin D supplement is sports research vegan vitamin D3 since it has everything a vegan needs to safely hit their RDA on a plant-based diet..

For a more in-depth look at how to master vitamin D on a plant-based diet, check out our ultimate vegan vitamin D guide.