Where do vegans get vitamin D? Finding vegan sources of vitamin D is actually pretty easy if you live somewhere with a lot of sun, but can get tricky for people who live in colder climates whether or not they’re vegan.

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, grow and maintain strong bones, maintain a healthy immune system, and fight inflammation.⁽¹⁾

Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in kids and osteomalacia in adults.⁽²⁾ It’s most common in breastfeed infants, older adults, people with limited sun exposure, people with darker-pigmented skin, people who are obese, and people with digestive conditions that interfere with nutrient absorption.

Types of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is not a single compound, but a family of related nutrients.

The most common dietary forms are vitamins D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin D2

Vitamin D2 is only found in vegan sources like fungi and plants.

Most fortified vegan products contain this type of vitamin D.

Vitamin D3

Contrary to popular belief, vitamin D3 isn’t derived exclusively from animal sources. Vitamin D3 is most often derived from an animal source (such as lanolin which comes from wool), but it can also be derived from a non-animal source such as lichen.

Side note: a lichen isn’t a plant, animal, or fungi; it’s a dual organism — two organisms that have joined together to live symbiotically as a single unit (usually a fungi and an algae). Lichens are actually really cool and if you have some extra time, I highly recommend reading about these incredible composite organisms.

Vitamin D3 is slightly better than vitamin D2 at increasing levels of vitamin D in the blood, meaning that vitamin D3 is of higher quality.⁽³⁾

Daily Recommendations

Nutritional recommendations for vitamin D and other nutrients are developed by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D:

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): average daily intake of a nutrient that’s sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy people.
Adequate Intake (AI): approximate intake assumed to be nutritionally adequate based on limited research, though still not enough evidence to develop an RDA.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): maximum daily intake that’s unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin D is 4,000 IU for pre-teens, teens, and adults.

Effects of vitamin D toxicity include increased risk of pancreatic cancer, bone fractures, and cardiovascular disease.

It’s not possible to overdose on vitamin D from sun exposure, but prolonged exposure to the sun does come with its own health complications such as sunburn, skin cancer, and premature aging.

Best Vegan Sources of Vitamin D

Vegans can get vitamin D from these sources:

• Sunlight
• Mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet (UVB) rays
• Fortified foods
• Supplements

Vitamin D & Sunlight

Sunlight is a vegan’s best source of vitamin D. Your body actually creates vitamin D through a photochemical reaction when your skin (and a compound called 7-dehydrocholesterol within your skin) is exposed to direct sunlight.

Like other animals, when your body creates its own vitamin D from sunlight it makes vitamin D3 (this is why vitamin D sourced from animal products is always D3).

You should aim to get at least one hour (light skin) to two hours (dark skin) of midday sun exposure each week. That means going outside and exposing your skin to the sun — standing by a window won’t cut it.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to get adequate sun exposure, particularly older adults, people who live in colder climates, people who live farther from the equator, people who wear clothing that covers up a lot of skin, and people with darker-pigmented skin.

Vitamin D & Mushrooms

Mushrooms make vitamin D2 when exposed to ultraviolet rays, such as those from the sun or a UVB light.

Boosting a mushroom’s vitamin D content is as easy as taking some mushrooms outside (or setting them under a UVB light) and letting them bask in the sun. Generally, the longer your mushrooms sunbathe, the more vitamin D they’ll make.

Vitamin D Fortified Foods

Fortified vegan foods usually have the same amount of vitamin D as non-vegan sources of vitamin D, sometimes more.

Vegan foods containing fortified vitamin D include:

• Fortified non-dairy milk, yogurt, and butter
• Fortified tofu

Vitamin D Supplements

When looking for vegan vitamin D supplements, your safest bet is vitamin D2 since it’s always derived from plants. It’s best when taken on a daily basis, since its effects are slightly more temporary than those of vitamin D3.

Because vitamin D3 is better at keeping vitamin D levels raised,⁽⁴⁾ it may be a better option for people who don’t plan on taking a daily supplement and who don’t get adequate sunlight each day. Vegans should make absolutely sure the D3 is derived from a vegan source like lichen before buying.

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. To make sure your diet is providing you with the correct amount of nutrients your body needs, be sure to consult a nutrition specialist (ie: registered dietitian) with expertise in vegan diets.

Related:

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vegan Calcium Sources
• Vegan-Friendly Food From Around the World