Drug Interactions Of Vitamin D Vs D3
Vitamin D2 and D3 each are metabolized by the liver to 25D, and therefore the potential drug interactions are similar for both forms. Vitamin D may increase the serum levels of aluminum when taken with aluminum hydroxide, a common antacid, and therefore the combination should be avoided. Thiazide diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide, may increase the chance of vitamin D raising calcium levels in the blood to a dangerously high level. Patients on both thiazide diuretics and vitamin D supplementation should be monitored for this effect by their healthcare provider. Some drugs may decrease the absorption and effectiveness of your vitamin D supplement. Bile-acid sequestrants, such as cholestyramine, are an example of a drug which will impair vitamin D absorption. Vitamin D and cholestyramine should not be administered at the same time.
The following table may not be a complete list of drug interactions. Please consult your pharmacist or healthcare provider for more information and a complete list of interactions.
| Drug |
| Yes |
Immune Benefits Of Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been shown to bolster immune function. How? Research suggests that:
- Vitamin D may interfere with viral replication
- The vitamin also can repair cellular linings in the body
- The immune system’s production of protective proteins against infection may get a boost from vitamin D
- Excess pro-inflammatory compounds in the lungs can be prevented with adequate D levels
- Vitamin D improves gene expression of immune cells to defend against pathogens, specifically through interferon signaling .
Given this vitamin’s importance to a healthy immune system, it’s not surprising that additional research shows that having adequate D levels may cut down on the severity of certain illnesses. In a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials, the odd of having acute respiratory infection was 12% lower among those taking vitamin D, compared to the odds of those who were not taking vitamin D.
Is It Okay To Take Vitamin D3 Every Day
Youll want to check with your doctor or healthcare provider on that! Theyll be able to look at your current diet, and lifestyle alongside your vitamin D levels in order to determine if a vitamin D supplement is appropriate for you. Taking a vitamin D test is the only way to understand where your vitamin D levels are. From there, they will likely also suggest an amount of vitamin D that is right for you.
The amount of vitamin D that is taken each day is the key to healthy living. Rather than over or undershooting your intake, there are RDAs in place to help people get the proper amount of vitamin D for the best chance at overall health and immune support.*
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Vitamin D2 Vs D: Which One Is Right For You
Jeffrey Coolidge / Photodisc / Getty Images
If you need to take vitamin D supplements, you may encounter two different types on the drugstore shelf: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. These two types are mainly differentiated by the fact that one is found in plants and the other is found in animals.
Both aid in the absorption of calcium, reduce the risk of bone loss , and help prevent vitamin D deficiency. But there are subtle differences that may inform your choice.
Why Do Doctors Prescribe Vitamin D2 Instead Of D3
When you get a prescription from your doctor for vitamin D, it is typically for ergocalciferol or vitamin D2. You may wonder why doctors prescribe vitamin D2 instead of D3, if vitamin D3 appears to be more potent than vitamin D2.
The vitamin D prescription you get from your doctor is typically for 50,000 units of vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 is indicated to treat calcium disorders and parathyroid disorders. It is also the preferred form for patients with chronic kidney disease.
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Where To Find Vitamin D2 And Vitamin D3
While some commercially available foods are fortified with vitamin D, few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Luckily, our bodies produce vitamin D3 naturally whenever sunlight touches our skin. Certain plants and fungi produce vitamin D2.
Many people have a vitamin D3 deficiency because they live in areas that get little sunlight. The COVID-19 pandemic, and constant calls to stay home, have only sped up this troubling trend.
While we found that vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 do not have the same effect on gene activity within humans, the lack of impact we found when looking at vitamin D2 means that a larger study is urgently required to clarify the differences in the effects. However, these results show that vitamin D3 should be the favored form for fortified foods and supplements, concludes study co-author Professor Susan Lanham-New, Head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Surrey.
The study is available to read in Frontiers in Immunology.
How Do You Know If Youre Vitamin D
Measuring the form of vitamin D made in the liver, called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, is the best way to find out whether you are deficient. Ask your doctor if you should do the blood test to check your 25-hydroxyvitamin D level.
Bone density tests measure how much calcium is in bones. Low bone density signals a condition called osteoporosis. Severe vitamin D deficiency can be a sign of osteomalacia . In children, severe vitamin D deficiency appears as rickets.
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How Much Vitamin D Should You Take
If youre not getting enough vitamin D from the sun or food, you can take pills, capsules, drops, and other forms of vitamin D. Many multivitamins contain vitamin D.
How much vitamin D you need depends on factors like age and health issues. Talk to your doctor. Celiac disease and other conditions associated with malabsorption of food make it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients. People with these conditions and who have had gastrointestinal tract surgeries need more vitamin D.
- For people over age 70, the daily recommendation is 800 IU .
- For people below age 70 its 600 IU .
These recommendations meet the bone health needs for most people.
In most situations, taking more than 4,000 units per day is not recommended.
Vitamin D3 Is Formed In Your Skin
Your skin makes vitamin D3 when its exposed to sunlight.
Specifically, ultraviolet B radiation from sunlight triggers the formation of vitamin D3 from the compound 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin .
A similar process takes place in plants and mushrooms, where UVB light leads to the formation of vitamin D2 from ergosterol, a compound found in plant oils .
If you regularly spend time outdoors, lightly clad and without sunscreen, you may be getting all the vitamin D you need.
In Indian people, an estimated half an hour of midday sun twice a week provides the adequate amount .
Just keep in mind that this duration of exposure does not apply in countries farther away from the equator. In these countries, you may need more time to achieve the same results.
Nevertheless, be careful not to spend too much time in the sun without sunscreen. This is especially important if you have light-colored skin. Sunburns are a major risk factor for skin cancer .
Unlike dietary vitamin D, you cannot overdose on vitamin D3 produced in your skin. If your body already has enough, your skin simply produces less.
That said, many people get very little sun. They either work indoors or live in a country that doesnt get much sunlight during the winter. If this applies to you, make sure to regularly eat plenty of food rich in vitamin D.
Summary Your skin produces vitamin D3 when you spend time in the sun. In contrast, vitamin D2 is produced by plants and mushrooms exposed to sunlight.
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Whats The Deal With Vitamin D
You probably know vitamin D is important. Its vital to bone health, muscle movement, nerve connections to the brain, and immune system function.
Studies suggest vitamin D also may help protect us from infections and major diseases like cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and dementia. Because its often in the news and is available on store shelves, vitamin D seems like an easy way to bolster your health. But is it?
Endocrinologist John Bilezikian, MD, answered common questions about vitamin D to explain what it can and cannot do.
Why Is Vitamin D Important
Vitamin D is unique because it’s one of only two vitamins that your body can produce on its own , and you can also get it from other sources like food or supplements. It’s also technically a hormone that regulates how much calcium is in your blood. Unlike other vitamins, it requires conversion in the liver and kidneys to make it an active hormone. “Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that our bodies use to absorb and maintain healthy calcium and phosphorus levels, which are necessary to grow and maintain our bones,” Tolentino says.
You’ve probably heard that vitamin D is important for your bones, but it supports your body in other ways, too.”While we generally associate vitamin D with musculoskeletal health, it actually has several functions in the body, including the role it plays in immune function and reducing inflammation,” Tolentino says.
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Vitamin D And Autoimmune Disease
There is increasing epidemiologic evidence linking vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis , rheumatoid arthritis , diabetes mellitus , inflammatory bowel disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (reviewed in reference. Reports of low serum vitamin D predicting development of autoimmune disease in the future have been published for MS, autoimmune DM and RA. There is also data linking decreased in utero exposure to vitamin D and islet cell autoimmunity. Lower in utero exposure assessed by a lower maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy in women whose prospective child was at risk of developing autoimmune DM is associated with a statistically increased risk of the child developing pancreatic autoimmunity.
Vitamin D has also been shown to facilitate progression of existing autoimmune disease. In one study, 161 patients with an early undifferentiated connective tissue disease were followed for a mean of over 2 years. Most patients did not progress and remained in an undifferentiated state. Thirty-five patients went on to develop a defined rheumatologic diagnosis including RA, SLE, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, and Sjogrens Disease while 126 did not progress. Baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. Importantly, the mean vitamin D level was significantly lower in the group that progressed to a definitive disease.
Vitamin D2 Vs D: What Should I Take For Better Health
Vitamin D has gained a lot of attention over the past few years as, vitamin D3 is an important nutrient essential to our immune system.* It is vital to consume the vitamin D in the right form as it can go to waste otherwise.
Why do you need vitamin D?
Earlier known only as a bone health nutrient, vitamin D is that and so much more. Research in the past few decades has unveiled that, Vitamin D affects our total-body health, including our bones and teeth, fertility, muscles, immune function, and mood, and much more.
Despite its importance, there is clear data signifying how widespread the vitamin D gap is in our country. For instance, Vitamin D deficiency prevails in epidemic proportions all over the Indian subcontinent, with a prevalence of 70%-100% in the general population. Supplementation can help in this casebut only if you choose the right form.
Why all forms of vitamin D aren’t created equal.
It is clear that daily vitamin D supplementation is critical, there’s one final layer to consider: form. The options are vitamin D3 or vitamin D2.* And here’s the bottom line: These two nutrients are not biologically equal or substitutable. Any suggestion that vitamin D3 and D2 have the same efficacy falls into the “bad science” bucket.
But that’s old news. Innovative technologies in the past several years have developed
vitamin D3 options from plant origins and this is now available from Lichen source .
Benefits of vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3 has superior bio efficacy.
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Why Do You Need Vitamin D
Previously pigeon-holed as a bone health nutrient, vitamin D is that and so much more. Research in the past 40 years has uncovered that this hormone-like essential fat-soluble micronutrient affects our total-body health, including our bones and teeth, muscles, immune function, fertility, and mood,* to name a few.
Despite its importance, there is clear data demonstrating how widespread the vitamin D gap is in our country. For instance, we know that the large majority of American adults are not even consuming 400 IU of vitamin D from their daily diet. Extrapolating from that nationally representative stat, I guesstimate 99% of us are failing to eat at least 3,000 I.U. of vitamin D D level > 30 ng/ml) from food alone. This is where supplementation can helpbut only if you choose the right form.
Study Questions The Role Of Vitamin D2 In Human Health But Its Sibling Vitamin D3 Could Be Important For Fighting Infections
- Date:
- University of Surrey
- Summary:
- New research has found significant differences between the two types of vitamin D, with vitamin D2 having a questionable impact on human health. However, the study found that vitamin D3 could balance people’s immune systems and help strengthen defences against viral infections such as Covid-19.
New research has found significant differences between the two types of vitamin D, with vitamin D2 having a questionable impact on human health. However, the study found that vitamin D3 could balance people’s immune systems and help strengthen defences against viral infections such as Covid-19.
In a collaborative study by the Universities of Surrey and Brighton, researchers investigated the impact of vitamin D supplements — D2 and D3 — taken daily over a 12-week period on the activity of genes in people’s blood.
Contrary to widely held views, the research team discovered that both types of vitamin D did not have the same effect. They found evidence that vitamin D3 had a modifying effect on the immune system that could fortify the body against viral and bacterial diseases.
Professor Colin Smith, lead-author of the study from the University of Surrey, who began this work while at the University of Brighton, said:
“Our study suggests that it is important that people take a vitamin D3 supplement, or suitably fortified foods, especially in the winter months.”
The study is published in Frontiers in Immunology.
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Best Sources Of Vitamin D2 And D3
As there are few natural food sources of vitamin D2, many manufacturers artificially add it to their products. These manufacturers typically rely on plant sources to add D2 to their products, such as:
- Dairy and plant milk products like soy, almond, and oat milk
- Breakfast cereals
The vitamin D content depends on who makes it. You can check the nutrition label to know the vitamin D content of the product. Mushrooms are another good source of D2. Half a cup of mushrooms gives you 46% of your daily vitamin D needs.
Animals are the primary source of vitamin D3. These include:
- Trout: 16.2 micrograms per serving contains 81% of the daily value
- Salmon: 14.2 micrograms per serving contains 71% of the daily value
- Cod liver oil: 34 micrograms per serving contains 170% of the daily value
- Tuna: 1 microgram per serving contains 5% of the daily value
- Beef liver: 1 microgram per serving contains 5% of the daily value
- Eggs: 1.1 micrograms per serving contains 6% of the daily value
- Sardines: 1.2 micrograms per serving contains 6% of the daily value
- Cheese: 0.4 micrograms per serving contains 2% of the daily value
Dietary supplements for vitamin D2 and D3 are widely available. The preparation of vitamin D2 supplements usually involves treating ergosterol in yeasts with UV radiation. Ergosterol is the animal equivalent of cholesterol.
But most studies reveal that vitamin D3 increases blood vitamin levels to a greater extent and maintains these levels for a longer time than vitamin D2.
What Is The Best Form Of Vitamin D To Take
Research shows that vitamin D3 is roughly 87% more potent in raising blood levels of vitamin D and produces two to three times greater storage of vitamin D in the body compared to vitamin D2, thus making vitamin D3 the preferred vitamin D deficiency solution.
Keep in mind two important issues with the different sources of vitamin D.
- Sun. While spending 10-15 minutes in the sun every day can increase your vitamin D intake, you might be worried about damaging UV rays. You face an increased risk of developing skin cancer when you spend extended time in the sun without skin protection .
- Food. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, with the best sources being the flesh of oily fish. Because most people dont consume large enough quantities of vitamin-D rich foods, they cant be the sole source of vitamin D for many.
Due to the issues cited above, you might get a limited amount of vitamin D from sun exposure and from food. While its extremely important to add vitamin-D rich foods to your diet, you should also consider taking a dietary supplement. Nature Made offers a variety of vitamin D3 supplements.
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