Vegan Vitamin D3 1000IU Bloom

What Vegan Vitamin D3 1000IU Bloom Is

This is the plant-based vitamin D3 in the BLOOMLY range. It exists as a separate product rather than as a relabelled version of our standard D3, because the difference between them is the raw material itself.

Why Most Vitamin D3 Is Not Vegan

This is the part most people are surprised by, and it is the reason this product exists.

Vitamin D comes in two forms. D2 is ergocalciferol, typically derived from yeast or fungi, and is plant-based. D3 is cholecalciferol, and it is the form used in the great majority of vitamin D supplements.

The overwhelming majority of D3 on the market is produced from lanolin — the waxy oil that occurs in sheep's wool. Lanolin is an animal-derived material, so a D3 made from it is not vegan, regardless of what the rest of the pack says or how plant-friendly the branding looks.

For a long time this left people following a vegan diet with an awkward choice: take D2, or take a D3 that was not vegan.

Where Plant-Based D3 Comes From

The alternative is lichen. Lichen is not a single organism but a partnership between a fungus and an alga living together as one structure, and certain lichens contain vitamin D3.

Extracting D3 from lichen is how a plant-based D3 is produced. It is a different raw material and a different supply chain from lanolin-derived D3, and it is more expensive to produce — which is the honest reason vegan D3 products generally cost more than standard ones, including in our own range.

Two Things Worth Checking On Any Vegan Supplement

If you follow a vegan diet, the active ingredient is only half the question.

The first thing to check is the active ingredient source — for vitamin D, whether the D3 is from lichen or lanolin. The second is the capsule or coating, because a capsule shell made from gelatine is animal-derived even when everything inside it is not. A product can be plant-based in its contents and still not be vegan in its casing.

Both pieces of information belong on the product page of any supplement making this claim, ours included. If a brand states one and not the other, that is worth noticing.

Reading The Units: IU And Micrograms

Vitamin D is written two ways. IU means International Units; µg or mcg means micrograms. The relationship is fixed at 1 µg = 40 IU, so 25 µg is the same as 1000 IU and 100 µg is the same as 4000 IU. Convert both packs to one unit before comparing them.

Why Vitamin D Comes Up So Much In The United Kingdom

Vitamin D can be obtained from food and also produced by the body through skin exposure to sunlight. Dietary sources are few — oily fish, egg yolk, liver and fortified foods — and several of those are not options on a plant-based diet, which is part of why the question comes up more often for vegans.

At this latitude, usable sunlight varies considerably between summer and winter. That seasonality is why vitamin D is discussed here more than in sunnier countries.

How It Fits Into Your Routine

Vitamin D is fat-soluble and is generally suggested to be taken with a meal containing some fat. It attaches to a mealtime rather than needing its own slot.

What You Get In Each Pack

A single pack, a 2 pack and a 4 pack. Identical product in each; only the quantity changes. Prices are shown on this page before you add anything to your basket.

Who It's For

Adults following a vegan or plant-based diet who want vitamin D3 rather than D2, and anyone who would rather avoid animal-derived raw materials in their supplements.

Questions, Answered

Why is most vitamin D3 not vegan?
Because it is produced from lanolin, the oil from sheep's wool, which is an animal-derived material.

What is lichen, and why is it used for vegan D3?
Lichen is a partnership between a fungus and an alga living as one organism. Certain lichens contain vitamin D3, which makes them the route to a plant-based D3.

What is the difference between vitamin D2 and D3?
D2 is ergocalciferol, usually from yeast or fungi. D3 is cholecalciferol. Both are forms of vitamin D; D3 is the form used in most supplements.

Why does vegan D3 usually cost more?
Because lichen-derived D3 is more expensive to produce than lanolin-derived D3.

What else should I check on a vegan supplement?
The capsule or coating. A gelatine capsule shell is animal-derived even when the contents are plant-based.

Is 1000 IU the same as 25 micrograms?
Yes. 1 µg equals 40 IU.

Which foods contain vitamin D?
Oily fish, egg yolk and liver, plus fortified foods such as some spreads and cereals. Several of these are not options on a plant-based diet.

Should I take it with food?
Vitamin D is fat-soluble and is generally suggested to be taken with a meal containing some fat. Follow the directions given on the pack.

Important Information

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place. Store out of the reach of young children.

Warnings: Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Store out of the reach of young children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision, consult your doctor before use.