Are any probiotics *truly* vegan?

by C.H.
(Canada)

Hi there!

I've been a vegan for about four years now. I've been sick for about nine years, and I've recently been told that I need to start taking a probiotic supplement (without FOS) to re-populate my gut with good bacteria. I'm not supposed to eat fermented foods.

I've been doing TONS of research into whether I can find a truly vegan probiotic. Many probiotic companies claim that their product is vegan, but, after further questioning from me, admit that they use a "starter" bacteria which they then culture on a vegan medium. They don't know what source the "starter" bacteria comes from; they simply claim that it comes from a laboratory, where it could have been derived from human, animal, or other source.

I would love to find a probiotic that is 100% purely non-animal-derived (I am an ethical vegan) and non-human-derived (I find it gross how some probiotics are human-derived). Do you know if there are any probiotic supplements that do not use a "starter" bacteria of unknown origin? In other words, are any probiotics truly vegan?
Thanks.
C.H.

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