Thorne Verified: Vegan

Many brands have a wide range of products that are vegan. Thorne only has a dozen or so. How about that:

Even no hidden animal products in Thorne vegan-verified supplements

If at first glance a raw material does not appear to come from an animal source, Thorne does not simply assume it does. Because even if a finished nutrient contains no obvious animal ingredients, a non-vegan ingredient may have been used somewhere during the process. When that is the case, the product is not given a vegan-verified mark.

A product receives this seal only when it is confirmed from the suppliers of all ingredients (active ingredients and excipients) that they are actually vegan, that product receives the vegan-verified mark. This strict vetting and selection process is the reason that Thorne is currently (August 2022) labeling only a limited number of products as vegan.

Thorne began the vegan-verification process with a handful of products that are especially popular with vegans because they fill nutritional deficiencies that can occur when following a vegan diet.

Thorne products with the vegan-verified mark

Thorne plans to expand its vegan-verified portfolio in the future. By the way, when a Thorne product does not have the vegan-verified mark, it does not automatically mean that it would be non-vegan. It just means that the entire verification process has not yet been completed.

For a product that is not on the vegan-verified list, the following guidelines can be followed to arrive at an informed product choice:

Products that are not vegan anyway

There are six categories of non-vegan dietary supplements in Thorne's range:

1. Products with a specific non-vegan active ingredient:

Products containing that whey protein (whey protein is a dairy product)
Products containing fish oil (NOTE: the DHA in VeganPro Complex Chocolate comes from algae, not fish)

2. Products containing bovine gland extracts, pig enzymes or ox bile:

Products containing adrenal extract, such as Adrenal Cortex and Cortrex
Digestive enzymes - any product containing pepsin, pancreatin or ox bile

3. Products containing vitamin D3 derived from cholesterol (from lanolin from sheep's wool).

Most Thorne products contain vitamin D3 derived from lanolin from sheep's wool, except VeganPro Complex and Effusio's Immune Defense + (which contain vegan vitamin D3 from algae).

4. Amino acid products derived from keratin.

This includes most products containing the following amino acids (either as single products or compounded products):

L-tyrosine, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and leucine
In relation to leucine, it should be noted that leucine may also appear as an excipient in "Other Ingredients," thus classifying the product as not vegan.
Please note that Thorne's VeganPro Complex and Amino Complex do not fall into this category: those contain naturally occurring amino acids derived from vegan protein sources (including L-tyrosine, NAC and leucine)

5. The product is in a gelatin/glycerin softgel derived from bovine gelatin

6. Other products with ingredients of animal origin:

- Products containing glucosamine sulfate derived from crustaceans. However, the glucosamine salt in folate-containing products is from vegan source
Products containing chondroitin sulfate derived from bovine cartilage
Products derived from a non-vegan fermentation process - for example, PharmaGABA

Many commonly used non-vegan ingredients in the supplement industry

Stearates

Stearates (commonly referred to as stearic acid or magnesium stearate) are excipients commonly used in the supplement industry. They are fatty acids used as "lubricants" during the tablet or capsulation process, allowing the active ingredients to flow more smoothly and pack more material into the tablet or capsule. Although many companies use plant-based stearates, some use animal-based stearates.

Because stearates can inhibit the absorption of nutrients into the body, Thorne does not use stearates in any form (vegan or animal-based).

Lactose

Lactose: Products may contain hidden sources of dairy, particularly in the form of lactose, a sugar found in milk (both cow's milk and other milk). Lactose can be used as a diluent in supplements and is often not listed on the label if it was incorporated into the raw material before the manufacturer sourced it. Vitamin D is a raw material that is often diluted with lactose by the raw material supplier. Lactose is not only unsuitable for vegans, it can cause serious digestive problems for a person who is lactose intolerant.

At Thorne, each raw material is traced back to the supplier who must verify the presence or absence of allergens, including milk. Thorne does not make products that contain hidden lactose.

Frequently asked questions about Thorne's vegan products

Does Thorne plan to verify more products as vegan in the future?

Yes. Although verifying and tracking every ingredient in a product is a time-consuming process, Thorne is currently working on verifying more products as 100 percent vegan.

Does Thorne have a vegan omega-3 product?

At this time Thorne does not have a stand-alone vegan omega-3 product; however, VeganPro Complex contains vegan DHA from algae.

Is it true that most vitamin D3 is usually not vegan?

Yes, that is because much of the vitamin D3 on the market is made from cholesterol extracted from the lanolin of sheep's wool. However, Thorne has two vegan products that currently contain vegan vitamin D3 from algae - VeganPro Complex and Effusio's Immune Defense+ (available soon.

What are the sources of the amino acids in Amino Complex?

All amino acids in Amino Complex are synthetically or naturally derived and all sources are vegan.

Vegan diets are usually low in vitamin B12. What does Thorne suggest?

The only reliable sources of vitamin B12 in a vegan diet are foods fortified with vitamin B12 or a dietary supplement. Thorne's B-Complex #12 is vegan verified, contains all B vitamins plus choline, and contains more vitamin B12 (600 mcg per capsule) than our other B-complex multiples.

Thorne Verified: Vegan