Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have no doubts about this subject.
What Is Vitamin D?
However, many people become deficient in vitamin D because they don’t get enough sunlight. One of the main roles of vitamin D is promoting calcium absorption, which allows for proper bone mineralization and growth. Check your vitamin D levels at home with the Everlywell Vitamin D Test.
What’S The Difference Between Vitamin D And Vitamin D3?
There are two possible forms of vitamin D in the human body: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. The body can’t manufacture vitamin D2. When ingested, both vitamin D2 and D3 have to pass through the liver and kidneys, where they get processed into the active, usable form of vitamin D. Both forms of vitamin D are readily available as over-the-counter oral supplements.
Which Form Of Vitamin D Is Better?
Recent studies involving daily doses of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 show that they are equally effective in boosting your vitamin D levels. Most experts recommend 600 to 800 IUs of vitamin D per day. If you want to see what your vitamin D levels are like, take the Everlywell Vitamin D Test—an easy at-home option that lets you conveniently collect a sample at home and send it to a lab for accurate testing (a prepaid shipping label is included with the kit).
Cleveland Clinic. Accessed February 15, 2021. Safety of 50,000-100,000 Units of Vitamin D3/Week in Vitamin D-Deficient, Hypercholesterolemic Patients with Reversible Statin Intolerance.
What Are The Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3?
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. Vitamin D (D2) comes from plant sources, such as wild mushrooms, as well as fortified foods, such as milk or cereal products.
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. Vitamin D3 mainly comes from animal sources such as fish oil, fatty fish, liver, and egg yolks.
When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces vitamin D3. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the sunshine vitamin. Its strength is also measured in international units.
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?
Oral Tablets And Capsules, Oral Liquid Solution Oral Tablets And Capsules, Oral Liquid Solution, Sublingual Liquid Solution What Is The Standard Dosage?
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?
Indefinite Indefinite Who Typically Uses The Medication?
Supplements 101: Vitamin D
While both types help you meet your vitamin D requirements, they differ in a few important ways. 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.