If you’re here, then you probably Google’d: prescribed vitamin d. 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.
What Is Vitamin D?
“Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is needed for calcium to be absorbed into your bones,” says Dr. Inna Lukyanovsky, Pharm.D., functional medicine practitioner and the author of The Crohn’s and Colitis Fix. Vitamin D is biologically active in the body and helps increase the absorption of electrolytes, including calcium and magnesium, from the gastrointestinal tract.”
In other words, your bones can’t absorb calcium without vitamin D. That’s why most cow’s milk sold in U.S. Grocery stores is fortified with vitamin D. No matter how much of that great calcium you get from foods, your bones will be soft and brittle unless you also take in enough vitamin D to process it.
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A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
People at high risk of not getting enough vitamin D, all children aged 1 to 4, and all babies (unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day) should take a daily supplement throughout the year.
Why Is This Medication Prescribed?
Cholecalciferol is available without a prescription, but your doctor may prescribe cholecalciferol to treat certain conditions. Follow the directions on your product label or doctor’s instructions carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.
Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than recommended by your doctor. Cholecalciferol supplements are available alone and in combination with vitamins, and in combination with medication.
What Is The Difference Between Vitamin D2 And D3?
Fortified milk or juice is more likely to contain D2 because it is cheaper to produce.
Mushrooms contain a yeast compound called ergosterol, which is converted to ergocalciferol on exposure to UV light. Chanterelle mushrooms contain a lot less D2 (114 IU/cup). Vitamin D2 derived from mushrooms is vegetarian/vegan-friendly.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is made when cholesterol in our skin is exposed to sunlight and it is also contained in small amounts in some animal-sourced foods. Our skin stores a specific type of cholesterol, called 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is converted to previtamin D3 on exposure to UVB (wavelength 270-300nm). This is then irradiated to produce D3 (cholecalciferol).
Supplements obtained from lanolin are not vegan-friendly; however, a D3 supplement extracted from lichen is vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Vitamin D3 is more potent than D2 and binds to vitamin D receptors more effectively.