In August we discussed the importance of calcium in maintaining a healthy body. Most of us do not get the daily recommended allowance of calcium from our diets, so supplementing is a must. Recently, one of our readers, Bill, pointed out that a study done by Oxford reported that too many vegans are not getting enough calcium in their diet. A report on this study can be found on Bill’s site VerdantReports.org. In doing a little more research on this subject, I stumbled accross AlgaeCal.
AlgaeCal is a completely plant based calcium supplement (perfect for vegans) that has proven to not only protect bone loss, but to increase bone density. In addition, this company offers a tool to help you make sure you are getting enough calcium each day. Using the calculator you can input what you have eaten and find out whether your diet is meeting the key nutrients for good bone health. This company also has a study from 2008 to show the benefits of using their product. Check it out today.
Contrary to popular belief, becoming a vegan involves more than just a dietary change. Living a vegan lifestyle involves completely eliminating anything made from or with any kind of animal product. This includes the clothing you wear. Below are some great tools to use to help you ensure that your clothing is 100% vegan.
How To Buy Vegan Clothing: Shopping Tips
Vegan Clothing Explained: Explanation of why clothing should also be vegan
The Vegetarian Channel: Vegan clothing
The Vegan Store: Vegan clothing and products
Apparently there is some question as to whether or not sugar is Vegan friendly. Sugar does come from plants, but during the refining process some sugar does come into contact with animal products. Here’s the scoop on how to know if the sugar you are using is vegan or not.
White sugar comes from two sources: cane and beet. Beet sugar is refined but it never comes into contact with bone char. Bone char is made from cow bones and is sometimes during the refining process of cane sugar in the filters to whiten the sugar. Each refinery is different and below you will find a list of refineries that use bone char and those that do not.
Confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar) is made with refined white sugar and cornstarch. It may or may not be vegan depending on if the white sugar is can sugar and where it was refined.
Brown Sugar is refined white sugar with molasses added in. It may or may not be vegan depending on on if the white sugar is can sugar and where it was refined.
Fructose may or may not be refined using bone char. You will need to check with the refinery.
If you would prefer to use sugar substitutes, according to PETA Sucanat and turbinado sugar are never filtered using bone char.
Just to recap, if your white sugar is beet sugar you do not need to worry. If you use white sugar that is cane sugar, you want to make sure your sugar is not refined by a company that uses bone char during the refining process. You will want to avoid store brand white cane sugar because it is hard to know which refinery it came from. For confectioner’s and brown sugar that use white cane sugar as a base you will need to determine where it was refined. Here is a list of refineries.
Refineries that DO NOT use bone char:
Florida Crystals Refinery
P.O. Box 86
South Bay, FL 33493
407-996-9072
Labels: Florida Crystals
Refined Sugars Incorporated
One Federal St.
Yonkers, NY 10702
914-963-2400
Labels: Jack Frost, Country Cane, 4# Flow-Sweet
Pillsbury
Makes powdered brown sugar
Supreme Sugar Company (subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland)
P.O. Box 56009
New Orleans, LA 70156
504-831-0901
Labels: Supreme, Southern Bell, Rouse’s Markets
Refineries that DO use bone char:
Domino
1114 Ave. of the Americas
25th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
212-789-9700
Savannah Foods
P.O. Box 335
Savannah, GA 31402
912-234-1261
California & Hawaiian Sugar Company (with the exception of its Washed Raw Sugar)
830 Loring Ave.
Crockett, CA 94525-1104
510-787-2121
