vegan alternative to Probiotic

Before you started the vegan lifestyle, it was easy to get probiotics in your diet by eating yogurt a few times a week. Now that you’ve become vegan, yogurt is no longer an option. There are other probiotic-rich foods on the market, like pickles, kimchi and sauerkraut, but if you’re not a fan of sour foods you’ll have a hard time finding an option that’s palatable. After a while, you start thinking that maybe you should take probiotic supplements. They’re affordable, easy to find, and it’s much easier than trying to cook fresh sauerkraut every day.

But before you start taking probiotic supplements, you’ll want to check the label. Because several major brands extract their probiotics from dairy-based sources. If you’re not careful, you might be unwittingly contributing to the cruelty of the dairy industry. In recent years, an increasing number of vegan probiotics have appeared on the market, but you’ll want to do your research to make sure you’re getting a product that’s just as nutritious as traditional supplements. With so many options on the market, how do you know where to start? And do you need to take supplements in the first place?

What Are the Advantages of Taking Probiotics?

Inside your body is an environment teeming with both good bacteria and bad bacteria. Probiotics add good bacteria to your body so you can fight off illnesses, improve your digestion, ease the symptoms of certain diseases, prevent bad bacteria from entering your bloodstream, and break down medication. Some people take probiotics because they have digestive issues and don’t get enough fiber in their diet. Others take probiotics to boost their immune system. It’s a simple way to improve your health and make sure the bad bacteria in your system is balanced out by the good bacteria.

You can get probiotics in your diet by eating fermented foods like kombucha, yogurt, pickles, and cottage cheese. If you don’t like these foods or don’t have the time to switch up your diet, adding a probiotic supplement to your daily routine can keep you healthy and help you fight off viruses during flu season.

Are Probiotic Supplements Vegan?

Since probiotics can be found in non-dairy foods, it’s tempting to assume that all probiotic supplements are vegan. You’re not consuming yogurt or cottage cheese, just the bacteria that could potentially live in it–right?

In fact, several major brands of probiotics use bacteria harvested from dairy sources. The bacteria is grown on a dairy product like milk, then harvested and cultivated into multiple generations. While the probiotics you’re taking might not have been directly harvested from milk, the bacteria still originated in a dairy product. Additionally, some brands use pork- or cow-based gelatin in their capsules, so you’re contributing to the meat industry as well as the dairy industry.

Fortunately, an increasing number of brands have started selling vegan-friendly supplements that use bacteria sourced from plant products. These brands are dairy- and gelatin-free, and have everything you need to get a healthy dose of probiotics in the morning.

Why Should I Switch to Vegan Probiotic Supplements?

While probiotic supplements might seem far removed from the dairy industry, they’re still contributing to it. The original bacteria might have been cultivated on a product like milk or cheese, which is directly sourced from factory farms. At some point along the way, whether it was a few months or a few years ago, an animal was harmed to make that seemingly innocuous product.

Having dairy cattle in a factory farm is essentially modern-day slavery. The cows are forced into tiny, disease-ridden cages and forcibly milked with machines attached to their udders. After giving birth, cows can lactate for up to ten months; to keep them producing milk year round, they’re forcibly impregnated by tools and machinery. Once the baby is born, the calf is ripped away from the mother so she can go back to producing milk. The cows are treated like milk-producing machines with no regard to their thoughts, wants or feelings. From birth to death, they’re tortured and abused until they’re finally shipped to the slaughterhouse.

Dairy cattle also have drastically shorter lifespans than free-range cows. A cow can live up to twenty years, but dairy cows are lucky if they live up to six. Once they’re no longer good for producing milk, they’re slaughtered and butchered for their meat. Most of these cows are denied the simple pleasures of life, like walking through a field in the summertime or nursing their calf. Every waking moment of their lives is filled with fear and suffering.

And the meat industry, which produces the gelatin used in pharmaceutical capsules, is no better. The cows are forcibly fattened and crammed full of growth hormones, then shipped to the slaughterhouse, where their throats are cut and the skin is flayed from their bodies–often while they’re still alive. Numerous investigations have cited countless health and safety violations, both for the animals and the workers, but it seems like nothing can stop the cruelty of the meat industry.

How Do I Know That I’m Getting a Vegan Probiotic?

When you go shopping for probiotics, always read the back of the label. A dairy-sourced probiotic will have “milk” or “dairy” or something similar under the allergen section. Be sure to check the list of ingredients to make sure that gelatin isn’t included as well. Most vegan supplements will be specifically labeled “vegan,” but always double-check before you make a purchase.

What Kinds of Vegan Probiotics are On the Market?

Vegan supplements are just as versatile as traditional supplements. If you want to keep things simple, you can find plenty of vegan probiotic capsules on the market. You can also find vegan probiotic gummies if you want something tastier, and vegan probiotic powder that can be stirred into drinks and shakes. You can also buy dairy-free yogurt shakes for a delicious vegan probiotic drink. If you’ve got kids, you can also find chewable vegan supplements that are specially suited to their unique diets.

Are Vegan Probiotics Just as Good as Traditional Probiotics?

Yes! Your vegan probiotic alternative has the same bacteria as a traditional probiotic supplement–it’s just extracted from cruelty-free sources. You’re getting all the good bacteria you need without making any sacrifices for your vegan lifestyle.

Are Vegan Probiotics More Expensive or Harder to Find?

Vegan supplements typically sell for the same price as traditional supplements–maybe a few dollars more, at the most. Unlike other vegan products, vegan probiotic supplements make up a healthy percentage of the market. You should be able to find an affordable brand without too much trouble.

To find a supplement, try your local vitamin or health food store. You might also be able to find them at certain major retailers. Plenty of online storefronts sell supplements that can be shipped right to your door. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve compiled a list of high-quality supplements on our website. These brands have been used and reviewed by vegans just like yourself. Buy a bottle, see if it works out for you, and add your own reviews and suggestions to our website.