*originally published on The Epoch Times; edited by GSGF*
You’ve heard about how important vitamin D is for your health. In the colder months, when there is less sunlight, many people turn to supplements to get enough of this vitamin. But did you know some types of this essential vitamin can be more beneficial than others?
Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is beneficial for the health of your intestines and kidneys. It also helps with metabolizing calcium and phosphate, which is important for bone health. Those with severe vitamin D deficiency may have weakened bones, leading to rickets (children) or osteomalacia (adults).
Vitamin D is stored in fat cells in an inactive form. After hydroxylation, where the liver and kidneys convert the vitamin into its active form (calcitriol), the body can use it.
Vitamin D2 vs. D3
Vitamin D supplements usually come in two forms: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. D3 is more potent and therefore offers more health benefits. While vitamin D2 is only available through food and supplements, you can get vitamin D3 from both supplements and sunlight.
While both types of vitamin D are converted into the same active form in the body, vitamin D3 is better because it is more potent. However, D3 may have a unique benefit for immune health. Research from the University of Surrey found that vitamin D3 helps the immune system fight against bacteria and viruses by stimulating the body’s signaling system. These findings were not present for Vitamin D2.
Other existing research has found that vitamin D3 injections are 2x more effective than D2 ones. They can also be up to 3x more effective when paired with an oral tablet.
Why Vitamin D2 May Lower Levels of Vitamin D3
In a recent study published in Nutrition Reviews, researchers conducted randomized controlled trials with 655 adult subjects. Those who took vitamin D2 supplements had less vitamin D3 in their blood (a difference of around 18 nanomoles per liter) than those who did not take D2 supplements. This finding is statistically significant, making it unlikely to be due to chance.
Researchers believe this decrease in Vitamin D3 may be because the body is trying to keep vitamin D levels from being too high. There is existing research which found that taking vitamin D3 supplements also reduces vitamin D2 levels.
Should You Take Vitamin D2 or D3 Supplements?
People may think it doesn’t matter whether they are taking vitamin D2 and D3 supplements if they don’t know the difference between the two.
Because vitamin D3 is more potent and may be better for immune health, it may be better to choose supplements with this form of vitamin D. However, one of the authors of the Nutrition Reviews study, Smith, suggests doing research into vitamin D2 and D3 before choosing which type of vitamin D supplements to take.
Vegetarians and vegans may prefer to take vitamin D2 supplements since it is more readily available than D3. Vitamin D2 can also come in high doses, unlike D3, making it more appealing for people who need a lot of vitamin D.
Considerations for Vegens and Vegetarians
While many vitamin D3 supplements include lanolin (from sheep’s wool) and other animal-based ingredients, there are plant-based options made with lichen and algae. Helen Tieu, a registered dietitian, notes that some mushrooms are sources of vitamin D, but it is usually in the less potent D2 form.
Other registered dietitians, including Nicolette M. Pace, recommend vegans and vegetarians to eat fortified foods with vitamin D3 along with taking D3 supplements.
