Melatonin is a hormone found in animals, so it can be extracted to make supplements (even though it can also be made synthetically).
And unfortunately, most melatonin products are not vegan.
If you see the term “natural melatonin,” that’s a likely sign that it’s extracted from the pineal glands of animals.
Other Non-Vegan Ingredients in Melatonin Supplements
On top of the melatonin itself, you need to be wary about the other filler ingredients, usually included to make a capsule.
Some ingredients like gelatin (mainly in soft gels) are never vegan.
But other ingredients can come from animal or plant sources, like:
- Stearic acid
- Magnesium stearate
- Natural flavor
I’d assume that these are not vegan in most cases.
Many melatonin products are not vegan because they contain melatonin extracted from animals or contain other animal-based ingredients in their tablets or capsules. Look for melatonin products that are clearly labelled vegan-friendly, I’ve listed some of the best ones below on this page.
How Much Melatonin Do You Need?
Most research studies use a dose between 0.3 mg and 1.0 mg per night, you really don’t need to overdo it.
With that being said, it’s pretty safe to take slightly larger doses. One study had patients take 10 mg of melatonin per night for a month and saw no side effects or health issues.
Anecdotally, I’ve found that more melatonin doesn’t necessarily lead to getting to sleep faster. The supplements below all have under 10 mg of melatonin per serving, which should be more than enough for just about everyone.
Vegan Melatonin Supplements
What you’ll need to do is look for a melatonin supplement that is specifically made for vegans.
Here are a few recommendations.
1. Future Kind’s Vegan Natural Sleep Aid Supplement
Future Kind is a vegan company that sells a few different sleep supplements with melatonin in them. The gummies (pictured on the right above) have only melatonin in them, while the capsules on the left also contain other natural sleep aids.
Not only does this contain melatonin (3 mg per serving), but it contains other ingredients that have at least some scientific evidence of helping people sleep better:
- L-Theanine
- 5-HTP
- Valerian Root
- Chamomile Extract
- Passion Flower Herb
- Lemon Balm Leaf
- Hops Flower Extract
Not all of those sleeping aids are proven to be highly effective, but most have some evidence of a minor benefit, without a substantial risk of a downside.
Future Kind only makes vegan products, and sticks to high quality ingredients, so I’m always happy to recommend their products. Plus they ship worldwide.
Get a 10% Discount with coupon code ‘BEKIND10’
2. EZ Melts Melatonin
EZ Melts makes a variety of chewable vitamins that dissolve quickly to speed up how fast they take effect. If you have trouble swallowing capsules, this is a good option.
Most of their products are vegan-friendly, including this one.
Note that it does contain the sugar alcohol xylitol, which gives certain people stomach issues (too much of a sugar alcohol functions as a laxative). Most people won’t be effected, but make sure you’re not consuming a significant amount of xylitol from other sources (like gum) as well.
3. Naturelo Natural Sleep Aid
Naturelo is another well known supplement manufacturer that makes a lot of vegan products, including this sleep aid.
It has many of the same ingredients as Future Kind’s sleep blend for a similar price per serving:
- Melatonin – 6 mg per serving
- Algae Magnesium
- Valerian Root
- Chamomile
- Passion Flower
- Lemon Balm
- Hops
If you prefer to shop on Amazon in the U.S., it’s a great option. Otherwise it can be tough to find in other countries or in stores.
