If you’re here, then you probably Google’d: what is difference between vitamin d2 and vitamin d3. This subject along with many others are quite common, we will do our best to answer this and many other similar questions in this article which should ease your mind regarding this subject.
Supplements 101: Vitamin D
It’s a family of nutrients that shares similarities in chemical structure. Research even suggests that vitamin D2 is less effective than vitamin D3 at raising blood levels of vitamin D. This article sums up the main differences between vitamin D2 and D3.
Bottom Line.
over the past year.
After all, this nutrient is essential to our immune system. * Like me, I know many of you are vitamin D fans. That is the question.
Unlike some nutrition queries that are somewhat gray and equivocal in nature, when vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) go head-to-head, the winner is clear. Allow me to use an analogy to explain. At the Olympics recently, two phenomenal high jumpers from Qatar and Italy shared a heartwarming conclusion to their final event (where they jumped almost 8 feet in the air!).
By choosing to share the Olympic gold rather than have a jump-off. They both left Tokyo with gold medals. Vitamin D3 and D2 are…nothing like that.
Before I get granular on why D3 triumphs over D2, let’s recap why vitamin D should be top of mind in the first plac.
What Are The Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3?
The term vitamin D is kind of a misnomer because you will not find anything labeled simply as “vitamin D” in a pharmacy vitamin aisle. Rather, your choices will be vitamin D2 (What is vitamin D2?).
Or vitamin D3 (What is vitamin D3?). Generally, when one mentions vitamin D, the implied selection is vitamin D2. For the purpose of this article, when vitamin D is mentioned, it will refer to vitamin D2.
The names can be confusing, because many times, patients go into the pharmacy looking for vitamin D and are surprised that there is a D2 and a D3. The 50,000 IU capsules are prescription only, while lower strengths are available over-the-counter. Vitamin D is less expensive to produce and therefore is the form most commonly found in fortified food products.
When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces vitamin D3. All forms of vitamin D3 are available over-the-counter.
Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3 Vitamin D2 Vitamin D3 Drug Class Vitamin D Analog Vitamin D Analog Brand/Generic Status Brand And Generic Available Brand And Generic Available What Is The Generic Name?
What Is The Brand Name?
Ergocalciferol or vitamin D2
Drisdol, Calcidol, Calciferol Cholecalciferol, Vitamin D, Or Vitamin D3
Decara, Dialyvite D3 Max What Form(S) Does The Drug Come In?
1,000 Iu To 2,000 Iu Daily For Vitamin D Supplementation 1,000 Iu To 2,000 Iu Daily For Vitamin D Supplementation How Long Is The Typical Treatment?
Vitamin D3 Comes From Animals, Vitamin D2 From Plants
Plants can generate vitamin D2 through exposure to UV light. If you’re vegan, look for supplements that contain vitamin D2 as these will be sourced from plants rather than animal products.