How Are Vitamin D Supplements Made

How Are Vitamins And Supplements Made

As mentioned above,supplements can be derived from plant or animal products. A lab will take afruit and extract a vitamin from it, for example. In the synthetic productionof supplements, a vitamin can be synthesized from, forexample, an organic compound . According to How Products AreMade,there is no structural difference between the supplements created by thesedifferent methods.

There are manysteps in the process of making a vitamin: according to How Products AreMade,a vitamin manufacturer will purchase raw vitamins and other ingredients fromdistributors, and then they will check it and blend it if need be.

The processcontains many steps. The vitamins may go through a wet granulation stage, whichhelps the vitamin be properly sized. They are weighed and then properlydispensed. For example, at this stage, a specific amount of powder is put intoits capsule. They are then polished and inspected.Depending on the kind of vitamin formbe it a tablet or coatedthe vitamin manufacturingprocess may be changed. There is usually a quality control check at several differentsteps.

How Do I Know If I Have Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is measured with a blood test that measures 25D. This is the form of D3 that has undergone conversion by the liver although it is still inactive and requires further conversion by the kidneys to active vitamin D3, 1,25D.

The reason 25D is measured is because it is the most stable form of D3. It is also the most abundant form and lasts several weeks in the body. It is a good representation of how much vitamin D has been obtained from both diet and sun exposure.

Conversely, 1,25D only lasts for a few hours in the body and levels are a thousand-fold less than those of 25D. Our body also has a way of increasing the production of active D3 by the kidneys during times of deficiency and insufficiency, so a blood test for 1,25D may appear normal or elevated even when your actual levels of vitamin D are low. However, in some disorders of calcium metabolism, the 1,25D test may be used.

25D levels will tell your doctor if you are deficient in vitamin D, borderline, sufficient, or vitamin D toxic.

See the flow chart above for an overview of the different forms of vitamin d.

The Latest Research On Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D supplements have long been touted as important to bone health. The problem is that several studies have found that they dont live up to the hype. Vitamin D supplementation doesnt prevent fractures or falls, or have any effect on bone mineral density that is clinically meaningful, according to large review of over 81 clinical trials published in October 2018 in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. 30265-1″ rel=”nofollow”> 4)

Nor was vitamin D supplementation found to reduce the risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in a randomized, controlled clinical trial involving over 25,000 participants that was published in January 2019 in The New England Journal of Medicine. Yet researchers found that those who developed cancer had a 25 percent lower death rate when they were taking vitamin D. The findings also included a possible reduction in cancer risk for African Americans, which researchers wrote warrants further study.

Meanwhile, though observational studies have suggested a link between low vitamin D levels and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a randomized, controlled clinical trial published in June 2019 in The New England Journal of Medicine did not support that conclusion. Vitamin D3 supplementation at a dose of 4,000 IU per day did not result in a significantly lower risk of diabetes compared with a placebo.

Still, before you dispose of your supplements, speak with your doctor.

Read Also: How Long Does It Take To Restore Vitamin D Levels

All About Where Vitamin Supplements Come From

I dont know about you, but ever since I swallowed my first Flintstones chewable, I envisioned vitamin supplements coming from a magical fairyland where wizards would squeeze all the nutrients from whole vegetables and fruits. Do you have these visions too?

People that use vitamin supplements likely start with good intentions. But where do these products actually come from? Are vitamin supplements any more natural than white flour or pharmaceuticals?

Should I Take Vitamin D Or D3

Vitamin D and vitamin D3 are each effective vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D2 is approved in the treatment of hypoparathyroidism, vitamin D resistant rickets, and hypophosphatemia. Both supplements are commonly used for vitamin D supplementation.

Studies have shown that vitamin D3 supplements may be superior in raising the bodys vitamin D stores. There are many health benefits to vitamin D supplementation, but your doctor should use lab tests to recommend the amount of vitamin D you should take and which form.

Don’t Miss: What Vitamins Cause Weight Loss

Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3

Although Nordic Naturals is more famous for theirfish oil products, theyve branched out to vitamin D as well. It makes perfect sense, considering that vitamin D is rather scarce in Scandinavia.

Nordic Naturals D3 provides a concentrated vitamin D source alongside some of its trademark healthy oils. Each softgel provides 5000 IU of vitamin D3, dissolved in olive oil and the omega-9 fatty acid oleic acid. The softgels are flavored with natural orange extract and preserved with rosemary extract, which removes the need for a synthetic preservative to keep the supplement fresh.

How Much Vitamin D Is Too Much

Vitamin D toxicity is rare, but it can happen if you take too many supplements. You cannot get vitamin D toxicity from the sun or by eating foods that contain vitamin D.

Vitamin D toxicity is said to occur at blood levels above 150 ng/ml of 25D. because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it may take several weeks for levels to come down, even after you stop taking supplements.

Vitamin D levels are linked with calcium absorption, so early symptoms of vitamin D toxicity are caused by too much calcium in the blood and include nausea, vomiting, constipation/diarrhea, weakness, or frequent urination. If levels are left too high for too long, bone pain, headaches, drowsiness, itching and calcium stones in the kidneys may occur. Very high levels may also lead to low levels of vitamin K2 in the blood, which can, ironically, cause bone loss of calcium. There are reports that excessive levels of vitamin D have caused kidney failure.

Vitamin D toxicity can be treated by stopping vitamin D supplements and restricting dietary calcium. Fluids and other medications, such as bisphosphonates may also be prescribed.

Research has shown that taking 40,000-60,000 IU of vitamin D per day for several months can lead to toxicity. But this is significantly more than the recommended safe upper dosage of vitamin D, which is 4,000 IU/day for adults. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for most adults is 600 IU of vitamin D a day.

Always talk to your doctor before taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

Also Check: What Is The Best Vitamin C On The Market

What Are The Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3

The term vitamin D is kind of a misnomer because you will not find anything labeled simply as vitamin D in a pharmacy vitamin aisle. Rather, your choices will be vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 . Generally, when one mentions vitamin D, the implied selection is vitamin D2. For the purpose of this article, when vitamin D is mentioned, it will refer to vitamin D2. The names can be confusing, because many times, patients go into the pharmacy looking for vitamin D and are surprised that there is a D2 and a D3.

Vitamin D comes from plant sources, such as wild mushrooms, as well as fortified foods, such as milk or cereal products. Its strength is typically measured in international units, which is abbreviated as IU on labeling. The 50,000 IU capsules are prescription only, while lower strengths are available over-the-counter. Vitamin D is less expensive to produce and therefore is the form most commonly found in fortified food products.

Vitamin D3 mainly comes from animal sources such as fish oil, fatty fish, liver, and egg yolks. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces vitamin D3. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the sunshine vitamin. Its strength is also measured in international units. All forms of vitamin D3 are available over-the-counter.

Vital Choice Wild Sockeye Salmon Oil & Vitamin D3

This product contains vitamin D3 from lanolin, as well as wild salmon oil, which is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Three capsules provide 3,000 IU of vitamin D3, giving adults more than enough of this nutrient per day. However, a person can take fewer capsules if they want or need a lower amount.

This product is National Sanitation Foundation Certified for Sport, which means that it has undergone testing for contaminants and banned substances and that the manufacturers meet CGMP standards.

This liquid vitamin D product contains 100 IU of vitamin D3 per drop. Six drops would provide an adult with the recommended daily amount of vitamin D.

According to the manufacturers, in safe amounts, this supplement is also suitable for children.

This brand has certifications from Underwriters Laboratories , which runs the UL National Brand Certification Program. This means that the companys manufacturing, packaging, and warehousing practices are safe.

Also Check: How Often Should You Take Vitamin D

Who Shouldnt Buy Transparent Labs Raw Series Vitamin D

• People who want a pure Vitamin D supplement without any additional vitamins.
• Those who need a lower dose supplement.

Transparent Labs provides products that are free from a lot of often undesirable additives such as artificial sweeteners and GMOs. The high dosage provided in combination with the added Vitamin K pushes this product towards the top of our list. The pricing is just slightly higher than other competitive Vitamin D supplement options on the market, but its not by much and it likely worth it for those seeking that Vitamin K.

Is Vitamin D Deficiency An Epidemic No Its Not

Thomas Carpenter, MD, Yale Medicine pediatric endocrinologist and director of the Yale School of Medicines Center for X-Linked Hypophosphatemia

Based on the United States Dietary Association and National Health and Nutrition Surveys , the bulk of the population is not vitamin D-deficient. The population we tend to see vitamin D deficiency inand its typically in wintertimeare breastfed infants. Breast milk doesn’t have much vitamin D in it. That’s what spurred a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that every breastfed infant be given vitamin D . But if infants aren’t given multivitamin drops, they need to be given 200 IU a day of vitamin D for the first two months of life and 400 units a day afterwards until theyre drinking formula or milk, which are each fortified with vitamin D.

Read Also: What Vitamins Should I Take After Pregnancy

Thorne Research Vitamin D

On the surface, Thorne Research Vitamin D-1000 looks pretty standard. Its a vegetarian cellulose-based vitamin D supplement that delivers 1000 IU per day.

However, its got one interesting and unusual ingredient: the amino acid leucine.

The choice of this particular amino acid might seem a bit puzzling at first, but Thorne Research might be ahead of the curve: a 2015 study on elderly patients found that adding leucine to the vitamin D supplementation regimen of people at risk for sarcopeniathe loss of muscle mass associated with agingfound that leucine helped prevent this muscle loss .

Its not clear how or why this works, but it might be a good idea to go for Thorne Researchs vitamin D offering if you are getting older and want to think about your muscle mass retention.

Advice For Adults And Children Over 4 Years Old

During the autumn and winter, you need to get vitamin D from your diet because the sun is not strong enough for the body to make vitamin D.

But since it’s difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.

Between late March/early April to the end of September, most people can make all the vitamin D they need through sunlight on their skin and from a balanced diet.

You may choose not to take a vitamin D supplement during these months.

Also Check: Is 2000 Mg Of Vitamin C Too Much

Natural Sources Of Vitamin D

During the interview with Dr Jacobs, we learn that Vitamin D does also occur naturally in a few foods such as oily fish, mushrooms and egg yolk. It is also added to various everyday grocery items, but unfortunately, the amounts of Vitamin D in foods are quite small, so a combination of sunlight and supplement is necessary.

Our body produces its own Vitamin D with help from the sun. When UVB rays penetrate the skin, they cause a chemical reaction that converts fatty acids into Vitamin D. It is vitamin D which enables the body to absorb calcium from food.

But there is a dilemma because doctors have strongly advised us to cover up or use high-factor sun cream to protect ourselves from melanoma, and this is vitally important, but shielding our skin from the rays of the sun also blocks our Vitamin D supply.

Said Dr Jacobs: As doctors, weve campaigned to avoid sunshine to prevent skin cancer. But we should add to the message, take Vitamin D in some other ways, and take a supplement to fortify your food. We shouldnt be seeing children with rickets due to a lack of Vitamin D in this day and age.

How Do I Get Vitamin D

Our skin makes vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun. It can also be obtained from foods containing vitamin D, and D2/D3 supplements.

• Mushrooms
• Vitamin D2 supplements
• Fortified foods containing D2

• Exposing our skin to sunlight
• Butter
• Oily fish and fish oil
• Vitamin D3 supplements made using lanolin from sheeps wool
• Vitamin D3 supplements made using lichen
• Fortified foods containing D3

Since D2 is cheaper to produce, its the most common form in fortified foods.

You May Like: What Does Vitamin C For Skin

Good Sources Of Vitamin D

From about late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to make all the vitamin D they need from sunlight.

The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors.

But between October and early March we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight. Read more about vitamin D and sunlight.

Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods.

• fortified foods such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals

Another source of vitamin D is dietary supplements.

In the UK, cows’ milk is generally not a good source of vitamin D because it is not fortified, as it is in some other countries.

Designs For Health Hi

The Designs for Health website says that this supplement is highly concentrated and bioavailable, meaning that it is easy for the body to absorb. It contains 2,000 IU of vitamin D in each drop, and the drops quickly disperse in liquid.

A person can add this product to drinks or put it on their tongue. However, because it is high strength, it is important not to take too much. A doctor can advise on the right amount to take.

All Designs for Health facilities have one or more certifications from organizations such as the Natural Products Association, which enforces strict quality standards for supplements.

Read Also: What’s The Best Vitamin For Energy

Vitamin D Is Essential For Our Health Supporting Bones Teeth Muscles And The Immune System The Most Effective Vitamin D Form Vitamin D3 Is Normally Sourced From Sheep’s Wool But Healthspan Now Has A Vegan Vitamin D3 Product Made From A Low

Vitamin D is vital, but it’s not always easy to get your daily amount in colder countries such as the UK. Vitamin D is made by the skin on contact with sunlight. According to the NHS, you can get your daily dose of vitamin D from being outside for short periods of time, without sunscreen, from April through to September.

However, at other times of year the sun may not be strong enough: many don’t get enough vitamin D without supplements and fortified foods, especially in winter.

The problem is compounded by other trends, such as an increase in indoor working. There are also other risk groups, such as older people in care homes, those who cover skin for religious reasons and people with dark skin, all of whom may have trouble synthesising enough vitamin D from the sun.

Indeed, vitamin D deficiency is common: the National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that one in five people aged 19 to 64, one in six aged 65 and over, and a quarter of children aged 11 to 18 had low vitamin D levels throughout the year.

As a result, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that all adults in the UK take a daily supplement containing 400IU of vitamin D throughout the year.

Science Versus Sunshine: How Vitamin D Is Made In A Laboratory

Rickets was a disease which died out with the Victorian era, or so we thought, but a Food Unwrapped documentary screened by BBC Channel 4 reveals the disturbing truth that it has made a come-back. The programme presenter, Jimmy Doherty, is on a mission to discover how a vitamin, normally created by the synergy of sunshine on skin, can be produced by chemists in a laboratory.

We are told that the Department of Health has released the astonishing statistic that a quarter of people in the UK have low levels of Vitamin D. They stress that children are especially at risk and recommend that this vitamin is routinely taken in supplement form.

During an interview with Dr Benjamin Jacobs, a paediatrician from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, we are shown a video of a child currently being treated for Vitamin D-deficiency rickets. Three-year-old Hamsa Khans parents had no idea that a lack of Vitamin D could have such a devastating effect on their child.

A year later, following an intensive course of laboratory-produced Vitamin D, Hamsas bones are strengthening and the leg curvature is reducing. Dr Jacobs confirmed that continued treatment should completely cure him.

Also Check: What Veggies Have Vitamin C