Vitamin sources... question for all you angry vegans ;)
I'm crossing the vitamin frontier!
I'm trying to learn more about vitamin sources so I can make educated choices and not just pretend I don't know (which is, honestly, what I do now :( )
For some reason I can't seem to find info about vitamins sources only
Can an angry vegan ;) explain to me what you do when confronted by one of these vitamins on a product label? Is it only if it's listed in the ingredients as something that's been added in? (Not if the RDA of Vitamin A is 25%, right? cuz that'd be natural.) Maybe I'm confused but I don't see these in ingredient lists on products I buy.
If it is listed, do you call the company to confirm it's source and just 'remember' safe products?
And do I have the below info that I found online correct?
The term "can come from" irks me... because it implies that it can also come from a veg source but doesn't give you real numbers, percentages or chances that it may.
Vitamin A: can come from fish liver oil, egg yolk, butter, lemongrass, wheat germ oil, carotene in carrots, and synthetics. In cosmetics, creams, perfumes, hair dyes, ect.
Vitamin B12: Usually animal sources. Some vegetarian B12 supplements are available.
Vitamin D, Erocalciferol, Vitamin D-2, Ergosterol, Provitamin D-2, Calceiferol, Vitamin D-3: Vitamin D can come from animal or vegetable sources. Usually from animals though. Can be in creams, lotions, other cosmetics. Produced naturally by your body.
VITAMIN D
"Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) is produced by ultraviolet irradiation of a provitamin D sterol (ergosterol) which occurs in yeast and fungi. Both of these agents which have equal biologic activity are metabolized in the liver to calcifediol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) which is then hydroxylated in the kidney to calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol). Calcitriol is considered the most active form."
I only use products listing Vitamin D if they list it as Vitamin D2
VITAMIN A
"Vitamin A is actually a family of fat-soluble vitamins. Retinol is one of the most active, or usable, forms of vitamin A, and is found in animal foods such as liver and eggs. It can be converted to retinal and retinoic acid, other active forms of the vitamin A family. Some plant foods contain orange pigments called provitamin A carotenoids that the liver can convert to retinol. Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid found in many foods. Lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are also carotenoids commonly found in food, but your body cannot convert them to vitamin A."
"Vitamin A palmitate is the version used in food products because it is much more stable and dispersible in moisture than the acetate is. Vitamin A palmitate is spray-dried and has good particle size for blending in food products. Vitamin A palmitate is a combination of retinol (pure vitamin A) and palmitic acid."
So in other words, do NOT use products containing Vitamin A Retinol, Retonioc acid, Vitamin A aldehyde, Vitamin A palimate, Retinyl palimate, Retinyl aldehyde, Palimate A and different variations of those words, unless you call!!
Sometimes Retinol/Palimate CAN come from vegetable sources, so call the company if you really want to eat their product.
Safe vitamin A is Vitamin A carotene, carotenoids, etc. (Those in the form of Beta-carotene are easier to digest. And carotene is not a true vitamin. Its a molecule containing the vitamin that can be "unlocked" in the intestines)
RIBOFLAVIN (Vitamin B2)
"Various biotechnological processes have been developed for industrial scale riboflavin biosynthesis using different microorganisms, including filamentous fungi such as Ashbya gossypii, Candida famata and Candida flaveri as well as the bacteria Corynebacterium ammoniagenes and Bacillus subtilis"
Riboflavin is safe
NAICIN (VITAMIN B3)
This is synthesized from Tryptophan, which is an essential fatty acid comming from either plants or animals. In other words, it may or may not be safe.
I have to run out now, so I'll post the rest of the crap I know later. Also, usually when you call a company to ask about their vitamin sources, they have NO IDEA what you want. Maybe they don't even know. One time I got a "Um....Why would that matter?" response.
Thanks Ashley,
"why would that matter?" ::)
i'm looking forward to hearing more when you get back.
I'm glad riboflavin is safe i had heard something about it but i was under the impression it was fine.
Again, I only need to be concerned with these things if they are listed in the actual ingredient section... yes?
Great question! I’ve looked for that info online before. With all of the online veg*n resources I thought it would be easy to find, but it wasn’t. I end up eating a lot of whole foods because I don't know, either.
You could search the vitamins on wikipedia. It can get very technical, but I guess vitamins are very technical. Oftentimes you can figure out if the vitamin is from animal or plant/fungus source from the way it is named (like cyanocobalamin versus methycobalamin or something, i can't remember at this time). Knowing that also helps because the name can tell you if the source is natural or artificial (made using chemical labs rather than extracting from fungus/bacteria or something similar).
check out www.pcrm.org. They have a ton of information on everything veg*n health related.
Great question! I’ve looked for that info online before. With all of the online veg*n resources I thought it would be easy to find, but it wasn’t. I end up eating a lot of whole foods because I don't know, either.
I'd say we eat 90% whole foods too and when it's packaged it's usually organic, maybe that's why I haven't come across these as ingreidents?
The only thing I have found in the house with vitamins listed in the ingreidents is my son's Heart to Heart Kashi cereal (not vegan, has honey)
You could search the vitamins on wikipedia. It can get very technical, but I guess vitamins are very technical. Oftentimes you can figure out if the vitamin is from animal or plant/fungus source from the way it is named (like cyanocobalamin versus methycobalamin or something, i can't remember at this time). Knowing that also helps because the name can tell you if the source is natural or artificial (made using chemical labs rather than extracting from fungus/bacteria or something similar).
Yeah I didn't do so hot with my own search.... I figure there has to be "a method" for knowing... I mean angry vegans do it all the time, right? :)
The part about the wording being different does help some though, thanks!
I'm hoping ashleykimball comes back to talk about this a little more.... or davedrum or mdvegan is around with some good advice...?
I'm hoping ashleykimball comes back to talk about this a little more.... or davedrum or mdvegan is around with some good advice...?
ME? Er, UM...duh ???....not really up on the scientific end of vitamin sources. Though... since Mdvegan's parents own some health food stores, she might be able to get that info for us. :) Mdvegan?
I too recommend contacing the PCRM and emailing them. They are pretty good about writing back or at least pointing you in the right direction for the information you are seeking...good luck! ;)
VITAMIN C
Sodium Ascorbate: vegan (Produced by a reaction of soda water and some random chemical crap)
Ascorbic Acid: Vegan (Uses a chemical dye that changes or soemthing like that
Calcium Carbonate: Vegan (wow, something with "Calcium" in it that's kosher? This calcium comes from minerals in mines and stuff)
potassium carbonate vegan (same kind of reaction as calcium carbonate, the potassium comes from potassium chloride which is mined
Ascorbyl Palmitate MAY OF MAY NOT BE VEGAN. it is synthesized with ascorbic acid and palmitic acid..which is a fatty acid that can or cannot come from animals sources
Ascorbyl Stearate NOT vegan. Uses stearic acid, which always comes from an animal source
Erythorbic acid Vegan, comes from sucrose (On a different note, this form of vitamin c has undergone studies which show it can be harmful. Also, it is not effectively absorbed by the body)
A general rule is: If the _____ has the words Stear-, Palmitic-, or calcium, it is not vegan
IRON
I only know that Ferric Orthophosphate or Iron (III) Phosphate is vegan. I called a company that used it in their products and they informed me it was. (Combanation of a phosphate and minded iron). Strangely enough I researched it and found out its approved for use in organic farms to kill mollusks.
It looks like all dietary irons are various chemical compounds containing mined iron...but I'm not for sure.
Um, that's all I've got.
The last time I looked at orthophate was on a ROUNDUP lable.