What is the Difference Between Vitamin D2 and D3? Which Is More Effective?
Vitamin D is a family of nutrients that have similarities in chemical structure. Vitamins D2 and D3 are obtained from food. Both types help meet vitamin D requirements. There are some important differences between them. “Difference between vitamin D2 and D3 why?"
Difference between vitamin D2 and D3
Studies show that vitamin D2 is less effective than vitamin D3 at raising blood levels.
Difference between vitamin D2 and D3 is as follows;
What is the difference between vitamin D2 and D3?
Vitamin D3 is obtained from animals, Vitamin D2 from plants.
The two forms of vitamin D vary according to food sources. Vitamin D3 is found only in animal-sourced foods, while vitamin D2 is mainly found in plant sources and fortified foods.
Vitamin D3 sources are;
Oily fish and fish oil
Liver
Egg yolk
Butter
Nutritional supplements
Vitamin D2 sources are as follows;
Mushrooms (grown under UV light)
Fortified foods
Nutritional supplements
Because vitamin D2 is cheaper to produce, this is the most common form found in fortified foods.
Vitamin D3 occurs in the skin
Our skin produces vitamin D3 when exposed to sunlight. Specifically, ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight triggers the formation of vitamin D7 from compound 3-dehydrocholesterol in the skin.
A similar process occurs in plants and fungi where UVB light causes the formation of vitamin D2 from ergosterol, a compound found in plant oils.
If you spend time outdoors on a weekly basis, without sunscreen, you can produce all the vitamin D you need.
However, one should be careful about spending too much time in the sun without sunscreen. This is especially important for those with fair skin. Sunburn is an important risk factor for skin cancer.
Unlike vitamin D taken with nutritional supplements, you will not experience an overdose with vitamin D3 produced in the skin. Because if there is enough already in the body, the skin produces less.
Vitamin D3 is more effective
Vitamins D2 and D3 are not the same when it comes to raising vitamin D levels. Both are effectively absorbed into the bloodstream. However, the liver metabolizes them differently.
The liver metabolizes vitamin D2 to 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and vitamin D3 to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. These two compounds are collectively known as calcifediol.
Calcifediol is the main circulating form of vitamin D, and blood levels reflect the body's stores in these nutrients.
Vitamin D2 produces less calcifediol than an equal amount of vitamin D3. Most studies show that vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2 at raising blood levels of calcifediol.
If you are taking a vitamin D supplement, you can take vitamin D3.
Scientists have expressed concern that vitamin D2 supplements may be of lower quality than D3 supplements.
In fact, studies show that vitamin D2 is more sensitive to fluctuations in humidity and temperature. This is why vitamin D2 supplements are more likely to deteriorate over time.
