Vitamin D3 is usually made from lanolin in sheep's wool, but a lichen-derived vegan D3 exists, and D2 is plant-based. Check the label or ask.
Usual sourceLanolin (sheep wool)
Vegan optionsLichen D3, plant or yeast D2
VerdictSometimes
Where it hides
Supplements and multivitamins
Fortified plant milks and juices
Fortified cereals
Some yogurts and spreads
What it is
Vitamin D comes in two supplement forms, D2 and D3, and the animal question is all about how each is made. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements spells out the default source of D3.
Primary source 01 / 03
vitamin D3 is typically produced with irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol from lanolin obtained from the wool of sheep
Lanolin is the grease from sheep's wool, so standard D3 is animal-derived. The good news is that a vegan D3 now exists, and D2 sits outside the problem entirely because it is made from yeast or fungi.
Primary source 02 / 03
An animal-free version of vitamin D3 sourced from lichen is also available
For a fortified food or a supplement, the label rarely states the source of its D3, so a product carrying a vegan mark, a lichen-derived claim, or plainly listing D2 is the safe pick. When none of that is printed, the sourcing genuinely varies, and the fact sheet is blunt about the fix.
Primary source 03 / 03
People who avoid all animal-sourced products can contact dietary supplement manufacturers to ask about their sourcing and processing techniques.
Omega-3 (EPA and DHA)Fish oil is not vegan, but the EPA and DHA in it start in algae, and algal oil delivers the same omega-3s. Plant ALA from flax and chia is vegan too.
Vitamin D on a vegan dietThe Evidence · Vitamin D is the one almost everyone runs low on in winter, vegan or not. The plant-friendly fix is D2 or lichen D3, plus fortified foods and sensible sun.
Calcium and bone health on a vegan dietThe Evidence · This is the page where being on veganism's side means telling you the uncomfortable finding: vegans break more bones in the data, and calcium is the lever that moves it.
Frequently asked
Is vitamin D3 always from sheep?
No, but usually. Most D3 is made from lanolin, the grease in sheep's wool, so it is not vegan by default. A vegan D3 made from lichen is now available, and vitamin D2 is made from yeast or fungi and is vegan.
Should vegans take D2 or D3?
Either works to raise vitamin D, though D3 tends to raise blood levels a little more effectively. Vegans can get D3 from a lichen-derived supplement or use D2; our vitamin D page in The Evidence covers the trade-offs.
The same clear-eyed sourcing behind these verdicts, applied to each day’s news: what actually moved veganism forward, quoted and checked before you read it. One short brief, free.
