If you're concerned you're not getting enough vitamin D on a plant-based diet, it's important to keep in mind that most vitamin D deficiencies are not caused by diet alone. In fact, the most common cause is a lack of exposure to sunlight. Known as the 'sunshine vitamin', vitamin D can be naturally synthesized by the human body when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet light.

Who Is At Risk of a Vitamin D Deficiency?

Many people have trouble absorbing enough vitamin D through exposure to sunlight due to their darker skin tones (larger amounts of melanin in the epidermis reduce the skin's ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight), geographical region, or certain disorders.

A 2011 study found that almost 42% of the US population had insufficient levels of this essential vitamin. Among these individuals, around 82% were black, and almost 70% were Hispanic. Vitamin D deficiency was also more common among those who suffered from hypertension, obesity, or had low HDL cholesterol levels.

How To Obtain Vitamin D Safely from Sunlight

Did you know wearing sunscreen can reduce your vitamin D absorption by over 90%? This is because vitamin D synthesis can only take place when a steroid in our skin called '7-dehydrocholesterol' is broken down by the sun's UVB light. This process can only occur after a few hours or minutes of unprotected sun exposure, depending on your skin tone and weather conditions. If these rays are blocked, your skin will not be able to produce the nutrient.

That said, you should always wear sunscreen if you'll be exposed to the sun's rays for prolonged periods of time! To obtain enough vitamin D safely from the sun, try to limit daily unprotected sun exposure to just 15 minutes if you have light skin, or to a few hours if you have darker skin. Alternatively, you can obtain your vitamin D through food or supplements.

It's true that this nutrient is more bioavailable and abundant in animal sources than in plant food sources. Many foods are also fortified with vitamin D, like cereals, milks, orange juice, and others. However, these foods often contain a non-vegan source of vitamin D. So, vegans may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency if they cannot synthesize enough through exposure to sunlight. Keep reading to find out how you can ensure optimal levels of vitamin D through a vegan diet!

Why Do I Need Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is essential for absorbing enough calcium and for keeping bones healthy and strong. It also helps us maintain healthy blood calcium levels so our parathyroid glands can avoid 'borrowing' calcium from our skeleton to keep them in the normal range. So, it's a must-have for bone health. Some common signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, bone pain, muscle pain/discomfort, and depression.

Vitamin D2 vs. Vitamin D3

There are currently two known types of vitamin D. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) can be obtained naturally in small amounts via certain types of mushrooms, and is the most common type of vitamin D used to fortify vegan foods. However, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the kind our body synthesizes through exposure to sunlight. This is also the form of vitamin D found in animal foods like milk, oily fish, eggs, cheese, beef liver, and others.

Although both forms carry out the same functions, studies have shown that vitamin D3 is the more active form of vitamin D, and the preferred choice for supplementation. For this reason, researchers have developed a vegan form of cholecalciferol derived from lichen! This is the type of vitamin D3 used in many vegan supplements today.

How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?

The amount of dietary vitamin D you need depends on various factors, like how much sun exposure you receive, your age, and other variables like certain health conditions or disorders. However, the FNB has based their RDAs on individuals who receive minimal or limited sun exposure. So, check out your optimal daily vitamin D intake below!

In other words, infants below the age of 1 need just 10 mcg or 400 IU of vitamin D. Between ages 1 and 70, you need 15 mcg of vitamin D daily. And after age 70, you'll need a bit more to ensure adequate vitamin D levels, at 20 daily mcg.

Do Vegans Have Low Vitamin D Levels?

Those following a plant-based diet do not tend to have more instances of vitamin D deficiency than omnivores. This is mainly because, as we'd mentioned earlier, this condition is not typically caused by diet. However, vegans who already have lower vitamin D levels may have some trouble obtaining this nutrient through diet alone. This is especially true if they hope to rely entirely on natural sources of vitamin D to obtain their daily dose.

An interesting way to get this nutrient from a natural plant source is to 'infuse' sliced button mushrooms with more vitamin D2 by exposing them to midday sunlight (for maximum UV light) for 15-120 minutes. However, the additional amount they generate will depend on various factors like weather, season, latitude, etc. So, this is not always a surefire way to ensure optimal vitamin D levels.

The easiest way for vegans to make sure they're getting enough of this fat-soluble vitamin, is to take a daily lichen-based vitamin D supplement suspended in a plant-based oil for enhanced absorption. Alternatively, you could go for a daily vegan vitamin D3 spray with an oil base.

Vegan Vitamin D Food Sources

If you're not so good at remembering to take a daily supplement, you'll be relieved to know you can always get extra doses of vitamin D through a fortified vegan food source! Ensure sufficient vitamin D levels by selecting one or more of our favorites below.

Good Karma Plantmilk Unsweetened (10% RDA)

Good Karma's brand new Plantmilk is formulated with pea protein, whole grain oats, and flax oil. So, not only does it provide 10% of your daily vitamin D needs, it also contains an incredible 800mg of plant-based omega-3s! Plus, it's totally sugar-free and packed with 5g of healthy plant protein.

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SoDelicious Reduced Fat Wondermilk Beverage (15% RDA)

Made extra creamy and surprisingly similar to dairy milk, this 100% vegan beverage is made with oats, coconut cream, and soy protein. However, it's also amazing for your bone health with a 3.6 mcg dose of vitamin D, and 20% of your daily calcium needs!

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Silk Nextmilk 2% Reduced Fat (20% RDA)

Another oat, soy, and coconut-based beverage, Silk's new Nextmilk provides a whopping 20% of your daily vitamin D needs, 20% of your calcium intake, and 130% vitamin B12! Add this ultra-fortified beverage to smoothies, cereal, or enjoy it on its own for a major nutritional boost.

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Oatly Oatmilk (20% RDA)

Are you a big fan of Oatly's original oatmilk? Then, you'll be happy to know you can get 20% of your daily vitamin D needs in just 1 cup! It's also loaded with calcium, at 25% of the RDA, and with vitamin B12, at 50% of your daily recommended intake.

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Califia Farms Original Protein Oat Milk (25% RDA)

You're going to want to stock up on this incredibly nutritious beverage. Cover all the bases with Califia Farms' Protein Oat Milk, which is fortified with 25% of your vitamin D needs, 45% calcium, and even 8g of plant protein! It's also packed with 720mg of plant-based omega-3s, all in just one cup!

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Ripple Unsweetened Original Plant-Based Milk (30% RDA)

For 30% of your daily vitamin D intake, 35% calcium, and 100% of your vitamin B12 needs, go for Ripple's Unsweetened Original Plant-Based Milk. It's perfectly creamy in smoothies, soups, oats, and more, and even provides a bonus 8g of plant protein!

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Silk Plain Almondmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative (10% RDA)

Looking for a yummy and nutritious base for breakfast bowls or granola? This vegan product provides the right amount of sweetness and creaminess, along with 10% of your vitamin D needs, 5g of protein, 3g of fiber, and 10% calcium! In fact, many of this brand's fortified foods are packed with vitamin D!

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SoDelicious Unsweetened Plain Coconutmilk Yogurt (15% RDA)

At 15% of your vitamin D needs, 30% calcium, and 80% vitamin B12, SoDelicious' plain coconutmilk yogurt is an excellent nutritious base for smoothies, yogurt bowls, sauces, and more!

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Which Vegan Vitamin D Supplement Should I Take?

As mentioned earlier, vitamin D3 is the preferred choice for supplementation. So, how can we find an effective vegan version? What's important to look for in vegan vitamin D3 supplements is that they're free from animal products like gelatin, they're lichen-derived, and made with some sort of plant-based oil to enhance their absorption. You'll find these types of supplements in capsule or spray form below!

Sports Research Vegan Vitamin D3 Supplement

Formulated with 125 mcg of lichen-derived vitamin D3 and virgin organic coconut oil, this supplement is sure to cover your daily requirement! Ensure healthy bones for life with this optimal choice.

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Mary Ruth Organics Vegan Vitamin D3 Liquid Spray

With Mary Ruth's convenient liquid D3 supplement, you can consume as many sprays as you need to ensure an adequate level of vitamin D. On average, infants will need up to 4 sprays to cover their daily intake, individuals between ages 1-70 will need at least 6 sprays, and those over age 70 will need 8 sprays.

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Country Life Vegan D3 Softgels

A certified gluten-free option, Country Life's softgels are totally vegan friendly and suspended in an MCT base! Each capsule provides 125 mcg of sustainably-harvested, lichen-based vitamin D3.

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Garden of Life Organic Vegan D3 Spray

Obtain 100% or more of your daily vitamin D requirement from just one vanilla-flavored spray of this organic vegan supplement. Garden of Life's lichen-based vitamin D3 comes in a base of organic pumpkin and cranberry seed oils for enhanced absorption and even some bonus omegas!

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Hopefully, we were able to smoothly guide you through the basics of your vitamin D requirements as a vegan, and provide you with some helpful solutions. Remember to sign up for our weekly newsletter for more quick tips, advice, and recommendations to help simplify your vegan lifestyle!