As many of you may know, I am a food science student that is interested in health. I follow a lot of blogs that range from fatty food obsessions to cross fit beauties to vegan or paleo advocates, and each one of those blogs intrigues me.
Sometimes, I find something “fishy” about the health or moral claims in a diet choice or in this specific case, “woolly”. Usually, I let these things go. I mentioned in a previous post that I usually don’t let people’s opinions bother me.
The other day I saw on one of my favorite food blogs that cheerios contain vitamin D3, which is derived from lanolin which is made from sheeps wool and therefore isn’t vegan. Conclusion: sheep’s wool in your cheerios.
Now, I usually don’t get riled up. I don’t. But chemically, lanolin and Vitamin D3 are very different chemical structures. You can see my response and the bloggers response here.
I think I was quite polite and I genuinely wanted a scientific discussion. The response linked me to a couple articles about vitamin D and B12 supplements. I didn’t get a conclusive answer.
So, here’s what I’m posting for all my lovely followers, who are both interested in health, fact and fitness.
Vitamin D
- vit D can be converted in your skin by sunlight from cholecalciferol (or vitamin D3)
- Vit D can not be converted in your skin by sunlight from Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), it uses a different process
- Vit D is tightly bound to bone health and calcium absorption in the body. Little vitamin D, little calcium absorption.
- Vit D3 can be made in your body or ingested through eating animal products or Vitamin D3 supplements which can be derived from lanolin
- Vitamin D2 is synthesized in a lab from yeast and used in supplements
The conclusion to this 2011 study:
“D3 is approximately 87% more potent in raising and maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentrations and produces 2- to 3-fold greater storage of vitamin D than does equimolar D2. For neither was there evidence of sequestration in fat, as had been postulated for doses in this range. Given its greater potency and lower cost, D3 should be the preferred treatment option when correcting vitamin D deficiency.”
87% is a lot of percent. And the large dosage showed no predicted negative effects (fat sequestration).
Going back to my original point…
This: (vitamin D3)
Is not this: (lanolin)
and is also not this:
I’m sure people will argue that “well it’s derived from animals so that makes it an animal product”. Well, chemically, it’s not. That’s like saying a hydrogen atom is the same as a helium atom because the difference of one electron is small enough to dismiss.
And I disagree.
Vitamin D reference
