Guide
Vitamin D without fillers: reading the other ingredients
Our softgel lists gelatin, glycerin, water, soybean oil and corn oil as other ingredients, so it is not vegan. What each is, and what to check on any label.
Often not. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is usually made from an animal source, and in a softgel the shell often is animal-derived too. Our softgel's other ingredients are gelatin, glycerin, water, soybean oil and corn oil, so it is not vegan or vegetarian. Plant-derived vitamin D exists as D2; check any label.
What "other ingredients" means on a vitamin D label
The Supplement Facts panel lists the vitamin D first, with its amount. Below it, "other ingredients" lists everything else in the product. For a vitamin D softgel that is mostly two things: the shell and the oil the vitamin is dissolved in. "Fillers" is a loose word: in a tablet or powder it can mean bulking agents, binders and flow agents; in an oil softgel there is little to fill, because the vitamin is 50 micrograms in a capsule of oil.
Our softgel's other ingredients, one by one
| Ingredient | What it is in a softgel | Who may want to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin | The shell. Animal-derived; the panel does not say which animal | Vegans, vegetarians, anyone avoiding pork or beef |
| Glycerin | Keeps the shell soft and pliable | People who avoid it for personal reasons; the panel gives no source |
| Water | Part of the shell | No one |
| Soybean oil | The carrier oil for the vitamin D3 | People who avoid soy |
| Corn oil | The carrier oil for the vitamin D3 | People who avoid corn |
There are no added sugars, colours, binders or flow agents on the panel. The one badge listed for it is gluten-free. It is not vegan, not vegetarian, and has no non-GMO or allergen-free badge, and we do not state one.
Is vitamin D3 vegan, and is cholecalciferol vegan?
Cholecalciferol and vitamin D3 are the same thing. In supplements it is commonly made from lanolin, the grease of sheep's wool, and some makers produce a D3 from lichen instead, which is how vegan D3 products are made. The two molecules are identical; what differs is the source and, in a softgel, the shell. We cite no trial comparing sources, so we cannot say more than that.
The plant form is D2 (ergocalciferol). A meta-analysis of trials comparing the two found D3 raised blood vitamin D more than D2 overall, but the difference was lost when the dose was taken daily rather than as a large single dose. So a daily D2 is a reasonable option for people avoiding animal products. We do not sell one.
For our softgel, two sources are not stated on the panel or by us: the animal the gelatin comes from, and the source of the D3. That means we cannot tell you it is pork-free or lanolin-free, and you should not assume either. If it matters, choose a product that says.
Vitamin D3 without seed oils, soy, gelatin or glycerin
Ours has soybean oil, corn oil, gelatin and glycerin, so it is none of those. Whether soybean oil as a carrier is a problem is not something we have a study for (see cod liver oil, creams and oils). Other products use different carriers or no oil; the label tells you. A vitamin D3 "without biotin, K or other ingredients" is a question about the formula: ours is a single-nutrient softgel, with vitamin D3 as the only active, and no K2.
A note on very high-dose capsules
Searches for soft gelatin capsules at 60,000 IU are for a single amount equal to 1,500 mcg, fifteen times the 100 mcg (4,000 IU) adult upper limit. That is a clinician-directed amount, not a daily supplement dose. Our softgel is 50 mcg (2,000 IU), and the stacking rules are in how much vitamin D is too much.
What to look for instead
A short other-ingredients list is easier to judge, but "no fillers" is not a measure of quality by itself. The better checks are the form, the amount in mcg and IU, the dose against the 100 mcg limit, and whether the maker can show a test of the content. We hold no third-party certificate of analysis for ours, which we say plainly in how to choose a vitamin D.
Our softgel
Electric Tiger Vitamin D3 has 50 mcg (2,000 IU) of vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol per softgel, 250% of the Daily Value, as low as $15.35 a bottle on subscription.
Questions people ask
Are vitamin D3 supplements vegan, and which are vegetarian?
Many are not: the D3 or the shell is animal-derived. Check both, and look for a plant capsule and a lichen-derived D3. Ours is neither vegan nor vegetarian.
Is vitamin D3 not vegan, as I have read?
It depends on the source of the D3 and on the capsule. The molecule is the same whether it comes from lanolin or lichen.
Is there a vitamin D3 without gelatin, glycerin or pork?
Yes, from other makers. Ours has gelatin and glycerin, and the animal source of the gelatin is not stated.
Is there a vitamin D3 without fillers or additives?
Ours lists no added sugar, colour, binder or flow agent. Its other ingredients are the shell and two carrier oils.
Sources
- Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis D3 raised blood vitamin D levels more than D2 overall, but the difference disappeared when it was taken daily.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
