Experts Say This Is Real Difference Between Vitamin D and D3
When it comes to the sunshine vitamin, most of us could use a boost. The variations of vitamin D are all essential nutrients for our bodies, but you may find yourself asking: what’s the difference between vitamin D and D3? And how can you make sure that you’re getting enough of both?
Meet the Experts: Courtney Pelitera, M.S., R.D., C.N.S.C., registered dietitian and owner of Devour Your Life; Melissa Prest, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board.
Boosting your vitamin D intake has been shown to produce significant health benefits, like reducing your risk of heart attack and helping to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. To ensure that you are getting enough of all the different forms, keep reading to find out the difference between vitamin D, D2, D3, and how each of them are essential to your health.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is the all encompassing name for a family of similar chemical components needed in the human body, says Courtney Pelitera, M.S., R.D., C.N.S.C., registered dietitian and owner of Devour Your Life. The two most common forms are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which plays a major role in bone health, immunity, and nerve communication between the brain and muscle cells, explains Pelitera. “It is essential for calcium absorption as well, and in this way, it helps to prevent bone diseases such as osteoporosis,” she notes. Along with calcium, vitamin D also helps our bodies absorb magnesium and phosphate, adds Melissa Prest, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board.
Vitamin D2
Vitamin D2 is also called ergocalciferol and can be found in both food and supplements, says Prest. She notes that this form is higher in plant foods like mushrooms and yeast.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol, is what gives the “sunshine” vitamin its name. D3 is produced in our body from exposure to sunlight, Prest explains.
Vitamin D2 vs. D3
Uses
Both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 will help to increase vitamin D levels in the blood, says Pelitera. However, some studies have shown that supplementing vitamin D3 does a little bit better of a job at increasing levels.
The main difference here is that vitamin D2 is found in plant-based products such as mushrooms, fortified foods, and supplements, whereas vitamin D3 is found in animal-based foods such as butter, oily fish, egg yolk, and supplements, Pelitera explains. “Keep in mind that since vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, food containing vitamin D will have a fat component to them ie. fatty fish.”
Dosage
For vitamin D2, Pelitera says that there are only specific vitamin D2 dosage recommendations indicated for very specific diseases, including hypoparathyroidism, refractory rickets (also known as vitamin D resistant rickets), and familial hypophosphatemia.
Vitamin D3 needs for the average adult between the ages 19 and 70 years old is 600 IU (15 mcg) per day, says Pelitera. “This includes foods, for example, 1 cup of fortified milk contains about 120 IU of vitamin D[3].”
Efficacy
Research has shown that vitamin D3 tends to be more effective than vitamin D2 supplementation when trying to increase serum vitamin D levels, says Pelitera. “In bloodwork, we measure Vitamin D status through something called 25-OH Vitamin D, or ‘serum,’” she notes. When these levels are low, supplementation of vitamin D3 is often recommended due to its effectiveness.
Still, more research is needed to confirm if one is better than the other for serum vitamin D, says Prest. “If you have low serum vitamin D levels, your provider may start with a higher dose of vitamin D2 for a set number of weeks, and then switch you to a lower maintenance dose of vitamin D3,” Prest explains.
Signs of a vitamin D deficiency
Infants and children with severe vitamin D deficiency are at risk for a condition called Rickets, says Prest. “This is where the arms and legs can become bowed from the bones, not being able to properly grow.” In adults, we may see a condition called osteomalacia, which is a softening of the bones and can lead to osteoporosis, Prest adds.
Per Pelitera, symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency may include:
Muscle or bone pain
Increased sensitivity to pain
Tingling feeling in the hands or feet
History of frequent broken bones
Muscle twitches or spasms
Muscle weakness
There are many risk factors for vitamin D deficiency, such as limited sun exposure, older age, certain health conditions, and skin pigmentation, says Prest. If you have reason to believe that you might not be getting enough of the sunshine vitamin, “talk with your provider about getting your serum vitamin D level checked,” Prest advises.
Drug interactions and warnings
Some medications may interact with vitamin D supplements, and they may need to be avoided or taken separately from vitamin D, says Prest. Vitamin D supplementation could interact with some medications such as a statin (cholesterol reducing medication), orlistat (a weight loss drug), steroids (such as prednisone), and some types of diuretics, Pelitera warns. “You should consult your doctor before starting any new supplement or medication,” she advises.
What’s the best way to get vitamin D?
The best way to get Vitamin D is through daily sun exposure, says Pelitera. However, we know that in some places and with some lifestyles, this is not always possible.
Therefore, foods high in vitamin D will be the best ways to prevent a deficiency, says Prest. Some of the best food sources of vitamin D, according to Prest, include:
Salmon
Mackerel
Sardines
Eggs
Mushrooms
Fortified foods like milk and cereal
Supplements can also be a great way to add vitamin D to the diet when necessary, says Pelitera. Still, you should always consult your doctor before adding any new supplements to your regimen.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.
Is vitamin D2 or D3 better for you?
The bottom line is that research does not suggest one vitamin D over the other, says Prest. “Both can be used as a supplement to treat low serum vitamin D…and we get exposure to both versions through our diet and time in sunlight.” Still, if the goal is to try and increase a low level of Vitamin D, vitamin D3 supplementation may be the most effective choice between the two, notes Pelitera.
It’s also important to note that as with any vitamin or mineral, too much can also be a problem for health, says Pelitera. It is possible to over-supplement vitamin D, which can lead to a buildup of calcium in the bloodstream and cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, and weakness, Pelitera explains.
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