Sikhs Prone to Vitamin D Deficiency

Narayanjot ji,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/health-and-nutrition/25152-sikhs-prone-to-vitamin-d-deficiency.html

Guru Fateh.

Do people who belong to 3HO are Vegans or vegetarians? If they are vegans then they can not even take the Vitamin D supplement as suggested by the Doctor who belongs to 3HO. I found the following on the internet:
Source of cholecalciferol or vitamin D3
Cholecalciferol has an origin from animal products such as sheep wool. The sheep are not killed. The wool is sheared, and lanolin from the sheep wool is chemically altered in the lab to produce vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.
Q. I would like your thoughts on whether taking vitamin D3 cholecalciferol is okay for someone who is allergic to wool.
A. I have not heard of any problems arising from the ingestion of cholecalciferol in someone who is allergic to wool, but I cannot be 100 percent that it is completely safe since I am not familiar with the details of the manufacturing process of cholecalciferol from sheep wool.
Cholecalciferol questions
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25152
Q. I read on a web site that "Vegans usually obtain vitamin D from the action of sunlight on the skin or by taking fortified foods such as soya milk, margarine, breakfast cereals and vitamin supplements which are made from yeast or other fungi. Fortified vegan products contain D2 ( ergocalciferol ). Vegans are careful about their source of Vitamin D as D3 ( Cholecalciferol ) which is animal-derived." I'm vegan, does this mean I should not take a product with cholecalciferol but rather take ergocalciferol?
A. It appears to be true that Vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol is derived from an animal source such as sheep wool. Therefore, this would make it fine for a vegetarian but not for a very strict vegan who believes that even a vitamin derived from wool is not acceptable. The sheep are not killed. The wool is sheared, and lanolin from the sheep wool is chemically altered in the lab to produce vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.

Q. I have seen research stating that vitamin D2 should not be used, only vitamin D3 cholecalciferol, as a milk additive and for personal health reasons.
A. The preliminary research states that cholecalciferol is preferable to ergocalciferol. However, we have not seen any long term human studies in a head to head comparison of the two forms to know for certain, but for the time being cholecalciferol is probably the better choice.
Cholecalciferol supplement research Vitamin D3 : by Ray Sahelian, M.D.


Tejwant Singh

PS: Btw, as you know I from Vegas. Does that also make me a Vegan?

 
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Tejwant ji

Thanks for an interesting read. And you know ----I wondered myself about this. What do vegans do about the vitamin D issue as the supplements have elements they typically avoid.

To tell the truth -- I don't know if 3HO are vegans, but I suspect that most of them are not. I could write to Gurmustukh Singh or Gurujot Singh Khalsas ji and they would tell me. The are definitely vegetarians.

Another wrinkle in all of this pertains to people who are seriously intolerant of soya products. I am one of them. Soy can cause extremely painful digestive complications.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25152

There are some serious downsides to vegan diets. You really have to know what you are doing and you have to invest a lot of time in preparing and planning meals -- almost too much time given there are only 24 hours in a day. To me it is on the cusp of an unhealthy obsession.

Narayanjot ji,

Guru Fateh.

Sorry to know that you are soya intolerant. As you are a vegetarian, one important protein source is off your menu. So, how do you compensate for that? Is Jim also a vegetarian?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25152

Tejwant Singh

Tejwant ji

I am a vegetarian. Jim is not a vegetarian, but eats all my vegetables and fruit in addition to all of his food too. Italian, Indian and Greek cuisine are very rich in endless vegetable possibilities. Dairy is one source of protein for me. Another is legumes, which when combined with grains, provides almost a complete protein. I go light on nuts because they like soy make me kind of sick. I can eat them in small amounts.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25152

Vitamin D deficiency is now associated with 17 varieties of cancer, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease (heart disease), as well as diabetes and most recently autism. The benefits for these diseases occur only when the vitamin D level in the blood tests significantly over 30 ng/ml and preferably over 40 ng/mg.