Source of Life and Its “Vegan” Vitamin D3 from Mushrooms
by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director
In July 2011, a long-time VRG member contacted us about a Source of Life vitamin supplement recently purchased by her mother. She wondered if the company’s statement about a vegan Vitamin D3 derived from mushrooms were true and asked us to look into it.
To the best of our knowledge, mushrooms are able to produce Vitamin D2, otherwise known as ergocalciferol, when exposed to ultraviolet light (1). Cholecalciferol, or Vitamin D3, is usually derived from lanolin in sheep’s wool. Except for a synthetic Vitamin D3 precursor currently given only to poultry (2), and Vitamin D3 purportedly produced by lichen (3), we have not been aware of an all-plant-based Vitamin D3. The VRG was curious to learn about the cholecalciferol that Source of Life said was produced by mushrooms.
The VRG e-mailed and called Source of Life. We spoke with a customer service representative. Our first question concerned their product called “Bone Support Vcaps” (Product No. 30729). Since it is listed as “Vitamin D3 (from organic mushroom; cholecalciferol),” which suggests that there are two sources of the Vitamin D3, we asked if there were in fact two different sources, possibly Vitamin D2 from the mushrooms and Vitamin D3 from lanolin. The consumer representative put me on hold to check with a supervisor. She came back on to say: “[The supervisor says] it’s from one source only; mushrooms.”
Our next question concerned Source of Life’s Vitamin D3 Vcaps (Product No. 30735). They are listed as “100% plant-source cholecalciferol.” We asked the consumer rep to specify the plant source. She responded by saying “Mushrooms are the plant source.”
Lastly, The VRG inquired if their mushroom-produced Vitamin D3 had been independently confirmed by a third-party laboratory. The rep said that they had been. When we requested a copy of the results, we were put through to an “Inquiry Line” and left a message stating that we’d like to see the lab results.
When we followed up and asked for more detail on how their mushrooms produced Vitamin D3 because there is no detail about this on the company website, we were put through to the Manager of Research and Development, but as of this writing, have not yet received a response. If readers have more information, please let us know. Thank you.
Endnotes:
- http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_veggie_bits.php
- http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/03/29/garden-of-life-vitamin-d3-derived-from-lanolin/
- http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=133512&fileOId=624375
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I would also like to know about a similar claim from the makers of Ami Cat “vegan” cat food. They say their product contains a vegan form of D3. Pangea veganstore has not been able to verify this, so they will not carry it in their store; VegEssentials, however, does carry it.
Thanks.
I read somewhere that Vitamin D3 from mushrooms comes from laying the mushrooms in the sun to absorb the UV rays producing D3. I hope that’s true!
Hmm…if they lay the mushrooms in the sun, then that is exactly how the non-vegan D3 caps work, except they use sheep wool. I’ve read that lab tests should something like 5100IU of D3 in the actual vitamins. I know everything I read said that it’s impossible to get D3 from a plant source, however, if you lay the mushrooms in the sun, that makes all the sense in the world to me!
With all the scrutiny on vegan forms of D3 does anybody know the source from which Nordic Naturals gets theirs?
Nature’s Plus, Source of Life, Garden, Bone Support, 120 Veggie Caps says they use mushrooms for D3 (Scroll down for info) ~
http://www.iherb.com/Nature-s-Plus-Source-of-Life-Garden-Bone-Support-120-Veggie-Caps/24621
Jeanne, mushrooms do produce D3 too according to a 1997 Korean study: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Vitamin+D3+for+Vegans
Jim, Nordic Naturals get their D3 from lichen http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Products/Product_Details/514/?ProdID=1673 Although Vitashine, who provide the vitamin to Country Life http://www.countrylifevitamins.com/productdetails.php?product_id=544 and Food Movement http://www.thefoodmovement.co/Vegan_Vitamin_D3.html, are not mentioned by them. Does that mean they make the vitamin by themselves?
Dima – unfortunately your sources aren’t reliable. We need to see primary references, not a bunch of marketing material. There is reference to lichen containing D2, but I have seen nothing that indicates that fungi produce D3.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10850004