Is Vitamin D Or D3 Better
We mentioned that vitamin D2 doesnt affect your overall levels of vitamin D as much as D3. But that doesnt always mean vitamin D3 is the better form. While D3 does appear to be more effective than D2 in raising blood serum levels of vitamin D, Hunnes underscores that the best supplement is the one you can stick to taking.
And for most vegans and vegetarians , that makes D2 a more practical method for preventing deficiency. In fact, once either D2 or D3 is converted by your body into the active form of vitamin D, they both benefit your body in the same way.
While D3 is found in some animal products, D2 is found in plant products such as some mushrooms, some plants, and yeast. Vitamin D2 supplements are made from fungus and yeast, not sheeps wool.
What Is The Difference Between Vitamin D And Vitamin D3
Quick Health Scoop
- You can get vitamin D from three main sources: the sun, food, and dietary supplements
- Vitamin D contains both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3
- Research shows that vitamin D3 increases blood levels of the vitamin better than vitamin D2
- Because you might get a limited amount of vitamin D from sun exposure and from food, consider vitamin D supplementation to fill in any nutritional gaps
Did you know that vitamin D actually comes in two different forms: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3? Crucial to your health and well-being, vitamin D delivers a host of benefits to keep your body functioning properly. Most notably, this fat-soluble vitamin supports strong, healthy bones by working in tandem with calcium, one of the primary minerals in bone. How? Vitamin D is needed for your body to absorb calcium.1 But vitamin D also supports muscle function, muscle strength, balance, and immune health.
Given the critical roles vitamin D plays in your bodys healthy growth and functioning, does it matter which vitamin D you get? What is the difference between vitamin D and vitamin D3? And how does vitamin D2 fit into the mix? Lets dig into what the research says.
Which Vitamin D Supplement Is Best
Whenever youre looking for vitamin supplements for you or your child, its important to go for the highest-quality supplements you can afford.
For example, Llama Naturals Raspberry Vitamin D3 Gummies are all-natural and manufactured with your childs health front of mind. Youll be happy to know that theres no sheeps wool involved. Instead, theyre made from real fruit, cooked slowly to extract all those juicy nutrients, plus vitamin D3 from plant-based lichen and theyre delicious.
Theyre also free from added sugar and artificial sweeteners, as well as artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and common allergens like gluten. So you know that your little one is getting only the best.
That said, our Vitamin D3 gummies are in fact suitable for both adults and children. You just get to have two delicious gummies instead of one.
And in case youre wondering, Llama Naturals Simply Strawberry Multivitamin Gummies for kids contain both vitamin D2andvitamin D3 so you dont have to worry about which form to give them.
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Quelle Est La Diffrence Entre La Vitamine D D2 Et D3
Vitamine du soleil synthétisée par le corps grâce à la lumière naturelle, la vitamine D est essentielle à notre métabolisme et se décline sous cinq formes différentes. On parle alors des vitamines D2, D3, D5, D6 et D7, les vitamines D1 et D4 nexistant pas.
Parmi elles, les vitamines D2 et D3 restent de loin les plus connues et les plus utilisées au quotidien à travers les compléments alimentaires. On distinguera notamment :
- La vitamine D2 ou ergocalciférol, produite par les végétaux.
- La vitamine D3 ou cholécalciférol, issue des produits dorigine animale et de certains lichens.
Common Side Effects Of Vitamin D Vs D3
There are no common side effects to therapy with either vitamin D2 or D3. Side effects related to vitamin D are the result of hypervitaminosis D, an extremely rare condition that occurs when you intake too much vitamin D. This is sometimes seen in patients who take megadoses of vitamin D, leading to vitamin D toxicity. The result is a build up of dangerously high levels of calcium in the blood which can lead to nausea, vomiting, constipation, and frequent urination. If left untreated, irreversible renal failure can occur along with calcification of organs and soft tissues.
The following table lists side effects related to hypervitaminosis D, not normal vitamin D supplementation. More information on vitamin D toxicity may be obtained from your doctor or pharmacist, as this may not be a complete list.
| Common side effects of vitamin D and D3 |
|---|
Source: DailyMed
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What Happens When You Take Your Daily Vitamin D3
When you take a Vitamin D supplement, the vitamin passes from your bloodstream into your liver.
From here, it goes to the kidneys where it turns into calcitriol.
It is then released back into your bloodstream and can now enter your bodys cells where it attaches to Vitamin D receptors.
At this point, it can get to work regulating the minerals calcium and phosphorous. Clever stuff!
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Vitamin D Can Be Produced In The Skin
When exposed to the radiation from sunlight our skin will start producing vitamin D3 from a compound 7 dehydrocholesterol in the skin. very similar to the act that plants and mushrooms do, though they produce vitamin D2 from a compound called ergosterol.
If you often spend time outdoors with very little or without sunscreen, then you might be getting all the vitamin D that you need. In some hotter climates, spending just 30minutes outside in the midday sun twice a week should be enough. Keep in mind in cooler countries this time will vary.
Anothing thing worth noting is unlike vitamin D from your diet you cant overdose on sunlight vitamin D, your skin will simply produce less once youve had enough.
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What Are The Sources Of Vitamin D3
Foods that are naturally high in vitamin D3 are derived from animal sources such as cod liver oil, trout, and salmon. Smaller amounts of D3 can be found in eggs, sardines, tuna, and beef liver.
Vitamin D3 is also produced when the skin is exposed to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B . Unlike vitamin D supplementation, you cannot overdose on Vitamin D3 produced by sunlight when the body has enough it simply produces less. Its important to remember adequate sun protection, though!
Which Form Of Vitamin D Is More Beneficial
Form matters when it comes to supplementing with vitamin D. According to Bannan, D3 is the body’s preferred form of vitamin D because it’s produced in the body naturally and is more efficient at increasing blood levels. In fact, D3 is 87% more potent and effective at raising and maintaining serum 25D levels than D2. And since 25D levels are your status biomarker, that’s a majorly impactful difference.
D2 is significantly less effective because of the structural differences that affect the way the body metabolizes the vitamin. Vitamin D2 also has increased catabolism and its metabolites have weaker binding affinity to the vitamin-D-binding protein .
“These two nutrients are not biologically equivalent or interchangeable,” Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, mbg’s vice president of scientific affairs, previously wrote for mindbodygreen when dissecting D3’s scientifically proven superiority over D2. “One is effective , and the other is way less effective . Any suggestion that vitamin D3 and D2 are both good options falls into the ‘bad science’ bucket.”
When it comes to bioactivity, vitamin D3 has been shown to raise free 25D levelsan up-and-coming biomarker that may be more sensitive than total 25Dwith greater efficacy than D2. “This is yet one more compelling piece of evidence cementing the superior bioefficacy of D3 over D2,” Ferira concludes.
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What Does Vitamin D Do
Vitamin D has a wealth of benefits for your body and mind. For a start, were entering flu season right now, and Vitamin D has been shown to lower the risk of flu, as well as heart disease, certain cancers and MS. In terms of our mental health, the sunshine vitamin has been shown to lower levels of depression and anxiety in adults and it can also help to prevent the onset of dementia and certain mood disorders.
Just about everything from our immune function to our hair, skin, nails and bones benefits from Vitamin D, so ensuring that you are getting enough is important. In fact, the NHS suggests that it is an essential supplement during winter months due to lack of sunlight impeding our ability to create Vitamin D3 within our skin.
Is It Ok To Take Vitamin D3 Every Day
Yes, it is perfectly safe to take vitamin D every day. In fact, many experts recommend that adults supplement with vitamin D to ensure they are getting enough of this important nutrient.
It’s important to speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement, including vitamin D. This is especially true if you have any medical conditions or are taking any medications.
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that offers many health benefits. Supplementing with vitamin D can help to ensure you are getting enough of this nutrient every day. Speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement, including vitamin D, to ensure it is right for you.
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Do I Have A Vitamin D Deficiency
Most people living in first-world countries dont have many vitamin deficiencies. We can get most of the nutrients we need through food alone, and many foods have vitamins added to them to ensure that we get enough. Vitamin D deficiency, however, is still rampant, even among otherwise healthy people.
The main reason why is lack of sun exposure. Contrary to what you might think, just walking around outside on a sunny day usually isnt enough, even if you live on a tropical island. Clouds and shade dramatically cut down on ultraviolet lightthe stuff that your skin needs to produce vitamin Dand window glass blocks it completely. Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health explain that wearing sunscreen with an SPF of eight or more wont allow your body to absorb enough light to make D, although its obviously important to use some anyway to avoid sunburn and long-term skin damage.
Ethnicity also plays a factor. Melanin is a pigment that darkens the skin, but it also reduces the skins ability to absorb vitamin D. African Americans and Hispanics typically have more melanin than white people, so they tend to be more deficient.
Senior citizens are also in jeopardy. A trial in the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy stated that elderly subjects had insufficient D levels, despite vitamin D intake consistent with national recommendations.
Is Vitamin D Or D3 More Effective
Vitamin D2 and D3 are absorbed into the bloodstream where they are metabolized by the liver into 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, otherwise collectively known as 25D or calcifediol. Calcifediol is the vitamin D complex circulating in your blood, and its levels directly reflect your bodys stores of vitamin D. Calcifediol is commonly referred to as the active form of vitamin D. When your doctor orders lab tests to check your vitamin D levels, they are measuring your calcifediol levels. Calcifediol is the precursor to calcitriol, the ultimate active metabolite of vitamins D and D3.
There have been several studies comparing whether supplementation with vitamin D2 or D3 produces a higher blood level of calcifediol. A study published by the National Institutes of Health was conducted in elderly, post-menopausal women who had been identified as vitamin D deficient. It compared the effects of receiving a single high dose of vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 on calcifediol levels. The study concluded that vitamin D3 produced about twice the amount of circulating calcifediol in this patient population versus that of vitamin D2.
In a separate clinical trial comparing a 10-week regimen of twice weekly 50,000 IU dosing of both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 in demographically matched groups, vitamin D3 was also found to be superior in producing higher levels of 25D, or calcifediol.
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Are Vitamin D And Vitamin D3 The Same Thing
This is a tricky question as, technically, there is no such thing as singular Vitamin D. Vitamin D actually refers to a grouping of compounds which all have similar effects within the body, known as Vitamins D1-5. If youre looking at the nutritional lists on supplements, youll see that the two most common options for Vitamin D are D2 and D3, and D2 is commonly referred to as Vitamin D. So, for the purposes of clarity – whenever we mention Vitamin D in this guide, we are referring to D2. Well always call D3, D3 .
Vitamins D and D3 are both fat soluble vitamins which play roles in keeping our immune system healthy and helping with calcium absorption. Vitamin D is only available from plant sources, such as mushrooms, whilst D3 is usually sourced from animal products.
We can also obtain all of the Vitamin D3 we require via sunlight, but throughout the winter this is harder to achieve with shorter days and more clouds. Even during the summer, it can be difficult to absorb enough through our skin due to the need to protect ourselves against the risk of skin cancer, either by covering up or applying copious amounts of sunscreen.
Where Do We Get Vitamin D
The main source of vitamin D is sunshine. It is produced by the body through sunlight on the skin. However, many people, especially those living in colder climates, are deficient and may require additional supplementation.
Through the winter months in the UK, many of us dont get adequate levels through sunlight exposure so supplementation may be required.
Vitamin D can also be obtained through diet, eating foods that have a high Vitamin D content such as:
- Oily fish trout, salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel
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High Levels Of Melanin
Melanin is a pigment in the skin that makes it darker, so black people have high amounts of melanin, giving their skin its characteristic look.
But melanin can somewhat act like shade and lower the amount of D3 that your skin makes. Those with darker skin tones, and thus more melanin, might be at higher risk of low vitamin D levels.
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Vitamin D2 Vs D: What’s The Difference
We all know a healthy lifestyle incorporates a balanced and nutritious diet, exercise, and plenty of vitamin D. During the spring, summer, and early autumn we should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight. Outside of these months, the NHS recommends taking supplements.
If youve recently shopped for vitamin D supplements you might have noticed that some products are labelled as containing vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. The reason for this is that there are two different varieties of vitamin D which come from different sources but work in very similar ways.
To learn more about the difference, and for some tips on topping up your vitamin D, read on.
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Why Is Vitamin D3 So Important
Vitamin D3 yields higher levels of calcifediol when compared to vitamin D2. Calcifediol is the main circulating form of vitamin D in the blood, and is how healthcare providers examine our vitamin D levels.
In a study of older women, vitamin D3 was found to be nearly twice as effective as vitamin D2 when it came to raising blood levels of calcifediol. Vitamin D2 supplements are also thought to degrade more over time, as they are more sensitive to humidity and temperature changes.
So when it comes to supporting your immune health, vitamin D3 is the best option.
Is Vitamin D3 Better For You Than Vitamin D Deficiency
Both forms increase blood levels of vitamin D and both can treat and prevent rickets caused by vitamin D deficiency, but research has shown that vitamin D3 is effective at increasing blood levels of vitamin D for a longer period of time. Longer than vitamin D2. Vitamins D2 and D3 also come from different sources. Vitamin D2 is of vegetable origin.
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Which Form Of Vitamin D Is Better
Recent studies involving daily doses of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 show that they are equally effective in boosting your vitamin D levels.
Thus, the type of vitamin D you get is less important than getting the right dose and making sure your levels are in the right range to avoid deficiency. Most experts recommend 600 to 800 IUs of vitamin D per day.
If you want to see what your vitamin D levels are like, take the Everlywell Vitamin D Testâan easy at-home option that lets you conveniently collect a sample at home and send it to a lab for accurate testing .
1. Vitamin D. NIH, Office of Dietary Supplements. URL. Accessed February 15, 2021.
2. Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012 3:118-126.
3. Vitamin D2 vs. D3: Which Should I Take for Bone Health?. Cleveland Clinic. URL. Accessed February 15, 2021.
4. Jetty V, Glueck CJ, Wang P, et al. Safety of 50,000-100,000 Units of Vitamin D3/Week in Vitamin D-Deficient, Hypercholesterolemic Patients with Reversible Statin Intolerance. N Am J Med Sci. 2016 8:156-162.
5. On call: Vitamin D2 or D3?. Harvard Medical School. URL. Accessed February 15, 2021.
