Saturday, March 9, 2024
HomeEditor PicksWhat Are Vitamin D Supplements Made From

What Are Vitamin D Supplements Made From

What Kind Of Vitamin D Is Best

Make Your Own Vitamin D Supplements

The recommended form of vitamin D is vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. This is the natural form of vitamin D that your body makes from sunlight. Supplements are made from the fat of lambs’ wool.

However, a clinical study reported in 2008 suggested that vitamin D2 works as well as vitamin D3.

Many supplements contain vitamin D as vitamin D2 or calciferol. It’s derived from irradiated fungus. Because this is not the form of vitamin D naturally made by your body, WebMD nutritionist Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, recommends using the D3 form for those taking vitamin D supplements.

Because of its potency, different forms of vitamin D are used in prescription medications. If you have a prescription for one of these medications, do not switch to another form of vitamin D without checking with your doctor.

How Sustainable Is The Algae

No pesticides are used, as the algae is grown in controlled conditions, and no harsh solvents are required. It is a very low-energy process and can easily be scaled up, as algae grows so rapidly. What’s more, ‘waste’ algae can be reused in the next round of algae growth, contributing to the efficiency of the process.

Save 30% across our cat productsEnter code GO30%OFF at checkout

Rebecca Lane is a content writer and editor at Healthspan.

What Are The Benefits Of Taking A Vitamin D Supplement

The government says around 25% of teenagers and adults in the UK have low levels of vitamin D, which puts them at risk.

As there are so few food sources of vitamin D, and sun exposure can be unreliable, supplements are considered a safe way to prevent a deficiency.10

A 2013 review of evidence concluded that a vitamin D supplement could help protect against coughs and colds, while a separate 2013 study reported that women with lower levels of vitamin D experience tiredness and low energy.11,12

With so many factors putting us at risk of low levels, it makes sense to look at ways to supplement.

Some foods are fortified with Vitamin D, although you need to be sure it is Vitamin D3 and not just Vitamin D2.

Cod liver oil is a good source of Vitamin D supplementation .

A quality Vitamin D3 or wide-spectrum Vitamin D supplement is a sensible way to keep your daily levels topped up.

The most helpful aspect of taking any trustworthy health supplement is peace of mind. Just one little tablet or capsule per day and you can carry on knowing that you have covered your health bases.

With Vitamin D, you will be protecting your bone health, supporting your immune system, and helping your body build and maintain cells. That is why Vitamin D is one of the most important supplements you can take.

Also Check: Does Vitamin D Boost Immunity

Supplements : Vitamin D

Summary

Vitamin D is involved in many of your bodys functions. There are two forms in the diet, D2 and D3. It can also be produced in your skin when exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin D deficiency is a problem all over the world.

However, its pervasive in young women, infants, older adults, and people who have dark skin .

About 42% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient. However, this rate rises to 82% in Black people and 70% in Hispanics, which systemic problems likely play a role in .

If you have access to strong sun all year, then occasional sun exposure may be enough to fulfill your vitamin D requirements.

However, if you live far north or south of the equator, your vitamin D levels may fluctuate depending on the season. The levels may go down during the winter months due to a lack of sufficient sunlight .

In that case, you may need to rely on your diet for vitamin D as well as on vitamin D thats stored in body fat (

  • intensify bone loss
  • increase the risk of fractures

In children, a severe vitamin D deficiency can cause delays in growth and rickets, a disease where the bones become soft.

Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency is linked with several cancers, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, and thyroid problems .

Summary

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide but occurs at higher rates in specific populations. A deficiency in vitamin D is linked to various health problems.

How much vitamin D you need depends on many factors. These include:

Definition Of Vitamin D Deficiency And Incidence In Us Population

Nature Made, D3, Vitamin D Supplement, 2000 IU, 100 ...

Vitamin D adequacy is currently defined as a function of calcium homeostasis, with lower vitamin D levels resulting in reduced absorption of calcium from the gut and/or elevations of parathyroid hormone considered inadequate. Blood levels of the prohormone 25D, with a half-life of 2 to 3 weeks, are used to describe vitamin D sufficiency rather than levels of 1,252D, which has a half-life of only 3 to 4 hours., Furthermore, in early vitamin D depletion, blood levels of 1,252D can be misleading because they may rise initially in response to elevations in PTH, which is sensitive to reductions in 25D, before they begin to fall with prolonged precursor depletion.,

Also Check: What Vitamins Help With Menopause And Hot Flashes

Experiment Making Vitamin D In A Lab

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that we are able to get naturally from a source other than food the sun. When sunlight hits our skin, the UV radiation transforms a type of cholesterol under our skin into a form of vitamin D called vitamin D3.

We can also create syntheticvitamin D by mimicking the biological process of the sunlight hitting our skin. We do this by replacing the cholesterol found in our body with the cholesterol in lanolin, a waxy-grease like substance found in sheep wool. This synthetic or man-made form of vitamin D3 is what is commonly sold as vitamin D3 supplements in shops.

Professor Mark Rizzacasa and PhD student Calvin Lee from the School of Chemistry at Melbourne University calculated that you can produce one million 25 microgram doses of vitamin D3 from the fleece of one sheep.

The results were so astounding that we asked PhD student Calvin Lee to re-create this process for us. He did and this is how.

To see how Calvin came to these figures, see his workings below.

This work was done in the Rizzacasa Group, under the supervision of Professor Mark Rizzacasa.

The synthesis of vitamin D is a multi-stage process, beginning with 7-dehydrocholesterol extracted from the lanolin found in greasy sheeps wool. This is irradiated with high-intensity light to form preform vitamin D and then heated to form our final product vitamin D3.

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.

Recommended Reading: How Much Protein In Vitamin D Milk

Coverage And Cost Comparison Of Vitamin D Vs D3

Vitamin D2 in prescription form is commonly covered by most commercial and Medicare insurance plans. The over-the-counter formulations are typically not covered by commercial or Medicare insurance plans. The price can vary greatly depending on dosage. The average cost of the 50,000 IU dose for 12 weeks of therapy is $47.99. With a coupon from SingleCare, this price drops to as low as $11.

Vitamin D3 is over-the-counter, and therefore is typically not covered by insurance plans. The price varies depending on dose. D3 can cost as $40 but if your doctor prescribes the medication you can get it for as low as $20 with a SingleCare discount coupon.

$20+

Vital Choice Wild Sockeye Salmon Oil & Vitamin D3

Are Vitamin D Supplements Safe?

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.

You May Like: What Vitamins Should Be Avoided When On Blood Thinners

Well What Do We Know About Vitamin D

Well what do we know about Vitamin D? We know now that the major source for us is direct sunlight, and for people to get enough sun, they need to be fit enough to spend time outside. Is it possible that people who have enough Vitamin D, tend to be people who are fitter and healthier, and thats why they dont get heart disease? Vitamin D may be a marker of someone who is healthy and active, rather than something that prevents heart disease in itself. This is just one theory of what might be going on. There is a lot more research coming out and we are constantly learning new things. As of 2018, we know that having enough Vitamin D in the body is important for our health, especially for our bones. But any other health claim made about Vitamin D just doesnt stack up yet. For most healthy adults and children, sunlight in moderate amounts is all thats needed to get enough Vitamin D. In fact the benefits of sunlight may extend beyond Vitamin D. It means that you are getting outside and getting some exercise and just being out in the sun may improve your mood. Another thing to remember that Vitamin D is one of the four fat soluble Vitamins, this means that the body can store Vitamin D and release it slowly. This means you dont need sunlight everyday the Vitamin D that your body makes and stores in the summer can be released slowly over a couple of months to get you through winter.

Is Vitamin D3 Better Than Vitamin D2

Studies show that Vitamin D3 is far more important for our health than Vitamin D2. So either choose a Vitamin D3 supplement, or one which contains optimal levels of both forms. Vitamin D2 on its own is not enough.

Experts used to think that vitamins D2 and D3 were of equal importance for human health. But this was based on outdated studies of rickets in children. These days, we know lots more about Vitamin D. And it is clear that D3 is far more important and more effective for our health and wellbeing.

We need to look at how the body absorbs Vitamin D to understand why Vitamin D3 is more important. There are lots of biological processes involved. A specific enzyme in the liver helps Vitamin D3 metabolise into the bioactive form of Vitamin D. This process takes much longer with Vitamin D2.

Read Also: Are Vitamin C Packets Good For You

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.

Does Vitamin D3 Give You Energy

Nature Made Vitamin D3 1000 IU (25 mcg) Softgels, 300 ...

Increasing vitamin D intake is thought to improve energy. A clinical trial was done examining fatigue levels in patients who were identified as vitamin D deficient. These patients were given vitamin D3 supplementation to increase blood levels of vitamin D, and the results showed a significant improvement in fatigue levels. Scientists have shown this may be due to vitamin Ds effect at the cellular level where it augments mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle. This decreases muscle fatigue.

Recommended Reading: How To Know What Vitamins You Need

Potential Benefits Of Vitamin D Supplementation

The Vitamin D Council state that the two main ways to get sufficient amounts of vitamin D in the body are to expose bare skin to sunlight and take vitamin D supplements.

But Brant Cebulla, development director of the Vitamin D Council, told Medical News Today that for many people, frequent exposure to sunlight is not possible:

With our indoor lifestyles, we dont expose skin to the sun as much as we used to and are not fulfilling our vitamin D requirements. Supplements are one way to make up for this lifestyle.

Vitamin D supplementation has been linked to numerous health benefits.

Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that vitamin D supplements may reduce pain and depression for women with type 2 diabetes.

More recent research has suggested that high levels of vitamin D may prevent cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinsons disease, while another study found that high vitamin D intake during pregnancy may increase the muscle strength of offspring.

Last year, a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology that analyzed 290 prospective observational studies and 172 randomized trials of vitamin D supplements, found no evidence that vitamin D supplementation yields any health benefits.

Furthermore, the study researchers suggested that low vitamin D levels are a consequence of ill health, not a cause.

A more recent study, also published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinologyquestioned the health benefits of vitamin D supplementation.

When To Take Vitamin D And Why It Matters

Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun, which is why youll often hear this vitamin referred to by its friendly nickname, the sunshine vitamin. Because vitamin D supports functions throughout your entire body, vitamin D benefits include everything from immunity and muscle strength to calcium absorption, which is essential for bone health.

But consistent sun exposure can be hard to come by depending on where you live, your daily schedule and the time of year. And even if you do have great sun exposure, factors like sunscreen, time of day and even the clothes you wear can all interfere with your bodys ability to naturally produce vitamin D.

You consume vitamin D in foods like egg yolks and fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel. However, it can be difficult to get enough from food sources alone. Vitamin D dietary supplements make it easy to get enough vitamin D.

Instead of taking a broad-spectrum multivitamin , we recommend a targeted vitamin D supplement like Bulletproof Vitamins A-D-K. Vitamins A, D and K work better together, and you get science-backed doses of each in one convenient softgel.

Always be sure to follow the manufacturer recommendations printed on the label and get medical advice from your doctor or a dietitian about whether supplementation is right for you and how much vitamin D you need.

Also Check: What Vitamins Are Good During Pregnancy

Conditions Treated By Vitamin D And D3

Vitamin D2 as a prescription is used to treat hypoparathyroidism , vitamin D resistant rickets, and hypophosphatemia . It is commonly used for vitamin D insufficiency in both its prescription and over-the-counter formulations. The FDA does not approve treatment claims for over-the-counter vitamin supplements, therefore, even though this use is very common, it is considered off-label.

All forms of vitamin D3 supplements are available over-the-counter, and therefore are not FDA approved to make treatment claims. However, vitamin D3 is commonly used off-label to treat hypoparathyroidism and vitamin D deficiency, as well as for osteoporosis prevention.

Various uses of vitamin D supplementation are listed in the table below. You should always seek medical advice before beginning vitamin D supplementation.

Condition

How Much Vitamin D Should I Take

Good Question: Will taking a Vitamin D supplement help prevent coronavirus?

There is some controversy about whether people should take vitamin D as an oral supplement or just improve their level of sun exposure, while still staying sun safe.

An estimated 90% of vitamin D in our bodies is made when our skin is exposed to sunlight, which means our diet only contributes a small amount. However, there are certain groups of people, such as babies, young children, people with mental or physical disabilities, people with malabsorption syndromes, the elderly, and people who cover their skin for religious or cultural reasons that are at high risk of becoming vitamin D deficient.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is:

  • Aged birth to 1 year: 400 IU
  • Aged 1-70 years: 600 IU
  • Aged > 70 years: 800 IU

The safe upper limit of vitamin D is 4,000 IU/day for adults. But even though dosages above this amount are not recommended, doctors may still prescribe them for people who are vitamin D deficient. The upper limit for children is 1000IU for infants up to 6 months 2,500IU for toddlers up to 3 years 3,000IU for children aged 4-8 years, and 4,000IU for those aged 9 years and older. Blood levels should be monitored when someone is taking high doses of vitamin D.

Guidelines do not currently differentiate between supplementation with different forms of vitamin D .

You May Like: What Is Vitamin E Oil

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular