Vit. D and vegan

[Iris]

Is it even possible for vegetarian to meet the RDA for vit. D? I'm asking for a friend of my brother (Doesn't eat meat nor fish). I did find some food items that contain vit. D, but they contain only a little bit. Ofcourse you always have sunlight, but is that even effective when you're not also consuming some cholesterol? (Hope that isn't a redicilous thought )
And what about D2.... Is it as effective as vit. D3? I found several studies with different outcomes (some say it is, others it is not... )

[fictor]

Doesn't eat meat nor fish

What about eggs or butter?

Ofcourse you always have sunlight, but is that even effective when you're not also consuming some cholesterol?

I think the body
is capable of producing cholesterol by itself, or so I have read.

Vegan...That one always leaves me like "Why?"
To me, the logic is broken. 'Do not kill to survive'
That one only applies to strict frutarians. Most vegans
(all vegans I have ever known) eats plants, and plants
have to be 'killed' before you eat them, or at least
decapitated (is that the right word?)

[Iris]

Yes, he does eat eggs, but no butter. And I don't think he eats them a lot.... I found a few vegetarian things that contain vit. D, like some mushrooms, some cabbage and wheat germ oil..... But was realy wondering wheter this vit D2 can be used by the body and/or do we need vit D3 more/too?

Yes, I know what you mean. I don't get it (veganism/vegetarism) either. Makes absolutely no sense to me. I think one can not be in optimal health when no animal food is eaten. I too am disguisted by the whole bio-industy thing, but there are acceptable alternatives, in my opinion. Don't see anything wrong with organic meat, which doesn't have to be more expensive then regular meat (at least, here in Holland).
But I think a lot of vegetarians (not all ofcourse, but at least all I know) are more conserned about what is wrong/right then what is healthy to them..... So they do not bother to seek any alternatives, I guess.

[Iris]

Oh yeah, and decapitate... I think you could use it, but it's a bit awkward. I think harvested would be better, but that misses the point somewhat. So cut into pieces maybe?

[Oscar]

The body does produce cholesterol, but I'm not sure what percentage of the needs. Egg( yolk)s would do the trick.

Yes I agree, they tend to want to be more right than healthy.

[johndela1]

Vegan...That one always leaves me like "Why?"
To me, the logic is broken. 'Do not kill to survive'
That one only applies to strict frutarians. Most vegans
(all vegans I have ever known) eats plants, and plants
have to be 'killed' before you eat them, or at least
decapitated (is that the right word?)

Not to mention all the animals that die as the harvesting machines do their work. Or are harmed by the pesticides.

[RRM]

was realy wondering wheter this vit D2 can be used by the body and/or do we need vit D3 more/too?

Vitamin D = vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
D2 is derived from plant foods.
D3 is produced in the skin (from a cholesterol), requiring UVB radiation, and derived from animal food.
They are about equally potent.

[Iris]

They are about equally potent.

Great. Else it would realy become difficullt

[Cairidh]

Vegan...That one always leaves me like "Why?"
To me, the logic is broken. 'Do not kill to survive'
That one only applies to strict frutarians. Most vegans
(all vegans I have ever known) eats plants, and plants
have to be 'killed' before you eat them, or at least
decapitated (is that the right word?)

By that logic why not just eat humans? You've got to kill anyway....
Most omnivores don't care if a cow dies, but are very upset by the death of a human.
Most vegans don't care if a plant dies, but are very upset by the death of an animal.
Some vegans do care about the plants but care more about the animals, and know that fruitarian diets are not healthy or sustainable (sooner or later you starve to death). Some know this through common sense, and some like me, know because they've tried and failed.

Most people find their health improves a lot when they switch from cooked-omnivore to cooked-vegan. Most cooked vegans enjoy marvellous health. Not as magical as those on Raw Paleo or Wai but still excellent compared to "average." Cooked vegans don't usually have poor health, it's the raw vegans who do.....not because they don't heat their food but because they cut out the staple vegan foods - cooked grains and legumes.

You have to grow a lot more plants, to make animals to feed humans, than you do by feeding the plants to humans directly......vegans try to minimise harm...they can't eradicate it completely.

[fictor]

By that logic why not just eat humans? You've got to kill anyway....

Not the same thing. Eating your own species is a likely cause
of mad cow disease, and similar diseases. So I think it is perfectly
logic to kill to survive, but not your own species, unless absolutely
necessary (in self defense, or if it is the only food available).
Personally, I dont know if I would starve to death or eat another
human being, but I do not think it is immoral to do it if it is the only
way of survival.

[Iris]

I agree with Fictor. Furthermore, I think we'd all rather not see cattle in bio-industyish (is that even a word?) circumstances. But that is a environmental problem, and not to say we should all stop eating animal foods. It doesn't change our need for it. As you say yourself, we need some animal food, else we die. So it's natural. And in my opinion, it's fine if the animal has had a natural life him/herself. Then it's only part of nature.

That said, I do eat non-organic salmon. Simply because I can't afford to always buy organic. So it's the system that needs to change in my opinion (through subsidies and so on, making organic foods affordable for larger groups of people) and not our anatomy

But it's an endless discussion I'm affraid!

[Oscar]

Most vegans also tend to ignore the large number of animals which get killed when growing and harvesting crops with machines.