Natural Factors - Vegan SunVitamin Vitamin D3

Product Notes:

Until quite recently, the options for supplementing with Vitamin D were quite limited for vegans, since most products are derived from the oil from sheep wool, and some use fish oil, instead. In both cases, there may be cruelty or sustainability issues (such as the 'mulesing' of sheep). Of course, some Vitamin D supplements come from genetically modified soy, but that method not only uses a GMO ingredient but also produces a less effective form (D2, rather than D3).

Natural Factors pushes through that impasse here by providing a good 1000 IU dose of that optimal form (D3) of this critical vitamin from a natural Vegan source (lichen, which are sort of a hybrid between a fungus and an alga), packaged in a cheery looking bottle.

How Does It Work?

Vitamin D is primarily known to boost mood, especially during winter months when our skin gets little exposure to the sun. In fact, vitamin D deficiency has been identified as a risk factor for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), otherwise known as "the winter blues." However, vitamin D's commercial and scientific popularity is approaching that of vitamin C, as more and more benefits of this vitamin are being discovered. Many people use it during cold and flu season to help prevent infection, since it has been shown to support immunity.

Vitamin D3 is also vital to bone growth since it supports calcium absorption. Vitamin D deficiency results in rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, both of which are characterized by inadequate bone mineralization. More recently, vitamin D has been found to have protective effects against autoimmunity and several age-related diseases.

Almost anyone can benefit from taking vitamin D3, especially those who spend most of their time indoors, or who live in northern climates, or who are usually almost entirely covered up with either clothing or sunscreen when you are in the sun.