Is Creatine Vegan?

The short answer is yes, it can be but not necessarily. Let’s get a closer look at what is creatine and what you need to know if you decide to live a vegan lifestyle.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a natural compound that can be obtained from food sources. It’s made of three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. These amino acids are converted into creatine phosphate and phosphocreatine which are then stored in the skeletal muscles and used for energy.

It gained special attention from fitness enthusiasts and lifting communities because it has been shown to play an important role in energy production, and other benefits such as memory, endurance, strength, and even aid when enough sleep hasn’t been an option.

How is it made?

Creatine is typically produced as a supplement using two main components: sarcosine and cyanamide. Sarcosine is a derivative of the amino acid glycine, while cyanamide is a compound made up of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Through a series of chemical reactions and purification processes, sarcosine and cyanamide are combined to create creatine.

Sarcosine is found in animal products such as eggs and meat, as well as in shellfish and plant-based foods like legumes and nuts. In contrast, cyanamide is primarily present in plant-based foods, including almonds, spinach, soy, and lima beans. While both sarcosine and cyanamide occur naturally in foods, most creatine supplements are made using synthetic versions of these compounds.s.

Synthetic creatine production generally does not involve animal products, making most creatine supplements vegan-friendly. However, to be classified as vegan creatine, it must be produced entirely without using any animal-derived ingredients. While some brands may use gelatin, which comes from animals, vegan creatine utilizes alternative plant-based materials like pectin for its capsule version.

So, is creatine vegan?

It can be.

Most creatine supplements are vegan-friendly and can be successfully incorporated into a plant-based diet. If you are vegan or vegetarian, read the labels to verify whether a creatine supplement contain any animal sources:

For capsules: Look if the capsule is gelatin-free 

Read the labels for certifications like “vegan”, and “vegetarian”.

Keep in mind that plant-based may not be vegan.

That said, always remember that the more varied the diet, the better and easier to obtain the nutrients we need, and if you follow a vegan diet with no animal products at all, you will need special attention to the supplements you need for optimal nutrition.

As a nutrition specialist, I advocate for plant-based including animal products. This means, a diet that comes from a variety of foods, mostly from plant sources but including those ingredients that we can’t source from plants only.

As a vegan, you are going to have to be very careful with your food choices and your protein sources specifically since most vegetarian sources (except for soy and somewhat quinoa), are not complete protein sources, meaning that you need a lot more protein to get enough complete amino acids for repair and growth. 

An important aspect to keep in mind is that as we age, we need even more protein which is even more difficult to meet. It is mostly people who have eliminated animal sources from their diets that end up with osteoporosis and sarcopenia when they get older.

These are the vitamins and minerals that as a vegan you need to monitor and plan to supplement:

Vitamin B12

Vitamin D

Iron

Calcium

Iodine

Omega 3

Zinc

Docosahexaenoic acid

Carnosine

Creatine

Maintaining a proper progressive strength training protocol is also imperative to preserve muscle and bones along with a higher protein diet and supplements for the lack of animal sources.

Read more on how to get started for bone and muscle preservation or growth:
https://strengthsisters101.com/product/regain-muscle-and-bone-density-beginner-strength-plus-on-our-app-monthly

And enough calories for the body to work with.

Read for free on Kindle Unlimited:
https://strengthsisters101.com/product/nutrition-101-nutrition-basics-and-implementation