Dietary supplements are a popular choice for people looking to improve their health and wellbeing. They come in many forms, such as tablets, capsules, soft capsules, gel capsules, powders and liquids, and contain ingredients like vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes. Multivitamins, vitamin D, echinacea and fish oil are some of the most common dietary supplements available. Before taking any supplement, it's important to talk to a health professional to make sure it's right for you.
This article will discuss 12 of the most common animal-based ingredients found in dietary supplements, foods and cosmetics. One of the most widely used sources of vitamin D is lanolin. It is obtained from boiled sheep's wool and extracted by washing the wool in hot water with detergent before centrifugal separation or solvent extraction. Animal-based vitamin D has traditionally been cheaper than vegan vitamin D3, which comes from algae; however, due to increased demand for plant-based supplements, vegan vitamin D3 is now more cost-effective. Gelatin is another common additive found in supplements. It is used as a coating ingredient for tablets or as a filler in capsules and gels.
Carmine, which is extracted from insects and beetles bred and killed on an industrial scale, is an unnecessary ingredient in supplements. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements has conducted research on dietary supplements composed of substances of plant or animal origin or their extracts. They concluded that the active ingredients have not been fully characterized chemically or biologically. VEGAN only uses clinically studied, plant-based and naturally derived ingredients in their most bioavailable form to create unique and effective formulas without additives or unpleasant animal ingredients. According to a survey conducted by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, multivitamins and mineral supplements were the most commonly used dietary supplements by adults in all age groups. Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid products were the second most popular type of supplement. The third most popular type of supplement was vitamin C for people aged 20 to 39 (5.2%), botanical products for people aged 40 to 59 (8.3%) and calcium for people aged 60 and over (19.2%).When taking dietary supplements, it's important to be aware of potential interactions with other ingredients or components of the diet that could affect bioavailability.
Databases are not suitable for botanicals, including analytical chemistry and databases on biological effects, health efficacy, doses and common use. In this article we will discuss 12 of the most common animal-based ingredients found in dietary supplements: lanolin, gelatin, carmine, fish oil, cod liver oil, collagen peptides, whey protein concentrate, egg whites, honey bee pollen, royal jelly extract, bee propolis extract and bee venom. Lanolin is a wax secreted by sheep that is used as a source of vitamin D. It is extracted from boiled sheep's wool by washing it in hot water with detergent before centrifugal separation or solvent extraction. Animal-based vitamin D has traditionally been cheaper than vegan vitamin D3; however due to increased demand for plant-based supplements vegan vitamin D3 is now more cost-effective. Gelatin is a common additive found in supplements. Carmine is another animal-based ingredient that is extracted from insects and beetles bred and killed on an industrial scale.
It is an unnecessary ingredient in supplements. Fish oil is derived from the tissues of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring. It contains omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for human health but cannot be produced by the body itself. Cod liver oil is also derived from fish but contains higher levels of vitamins A and D than fish oil. Collagen peptides are derived from animal bones and connective tissues such as skin and tendons. They are rich in amino acids which help support healthy skin, hair and nails. Whey protein concentrate is derived from cow's milk and contains all nine essential amino acids needed for muscle growth and repair.
Egg whites are also a source of protein but contain fewer calories than whey protein concentrate. Honey bee pollen is collected by bees from flowers and contains proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins B1, B2 and B6 as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. Royal jelly extract is produced by worker bees to feed larvae and queen bees. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins A, C and E.Bee propolis extract is produced by bees to protect their hives from bacteria and fungi. It contains flavonoids which have antioxidant properties. Bee venom has anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce pain associated with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions. It's important to talk to a health professional before taking any supplement to make sure it's right for you. Be aware of potential interactions with other ingredients or components of the diet that could affect bioavailability when taking dietary supplements.
