Why the ThinkPharm Formula isn't vegan

There are two forms of vitamin D3 one can use in supplements.

There is a "vegetarian" form which is derived from sheep's wool and there is a "vegan" version derived from algae.

We chose to use the vegetarian version from sheep's wool. This is also used amongst other popular supplement brands. The phrasing they'll use on their packages is "suitable for vegetarians".

We believe it is more honest to say "not suitable for vegans".

We're proud of not using vegan vitamin D3. This might confuse some people. How can this possibly be a good idea? Being vegan is good for the planet!

The problem with vegan vitamin D3 is that it may not be as good as the vitamin D derived from animals. Ancestrally speaking, humans evolved to produce vitamin D from the sun through our skin, or by consuming it in our diet from animal products.

Vitamin D3 isn't produced by many algae species and we don't believe this would have made up a significant part of the ancestral diet of humans. 

To our knowledge, there isn't any research to show the comparative efficacy of the vegan D3 compared to the vegetarian D3. We have reasons to be skeptical.

For example, some people think you can get vitamin B12 from seaweed. The reality is that 83% of what seems like vitamin B12 in seaweed, are actually compounds that look like B12, but aren't actually B12 (they are inactive lookalikes) (1). In fact, some claim that these forms actually increase one's vitamin B12 requirements (2).

Algal vitamin D3 is a relatively novel concept and simply doesn't have the same track record as vitamin D3 derived from animals. What if vegan vitamin D3 actually increases requirement for regular vitamin D3?

Sheep's wool vitamin D3 closely resembles the kind of vitamin D3 that humans evolved with; either produced through skin (in this case sheep's skin) or consumed by eating animals.

Future evidence may show that algal vitamin D3 is equally effective, but until then, we're going to be cautious and stick with what we feel is most likely to work.

But what about those poor sheep? Apparently removing the wool from sheep is actually beneficial to the sheep. In fact, there is an RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) approved document explaining why it is important to remove the wool from sheep periodically (you can read more here). From the document: "Sheep grow wool continuously to protect them from the weather. Wool is a natural product of the sheep's life cycle and the welfare of sheep is improved by them being shorn every 12 months. Shearing keeps sheep cool in the warmer months and reduces the risk of parasitic infestation and disease". "External parasites can cause sheep severe discomfort and distress and, in the case of diseases like flystrike, even death if not spotted and treated quickly.

It seems that by choosing vegetarian vitamin D3, ironically you may be kinder to animals than you are by choosing vegan vitamin D3. You are essentially sponsoring the comfort and health of sheep.