Whats the difference between vitamin d3 and vitamin d2

We all know a healthy lifestyle incorporates a balanced and nutritious diet, exercise, and plenty of vitamin D. During the spring, summer, and early autumn we should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight. Outside of these months, the NHS recommends taking supplements.

If you’ve recently shopped for vitamin D supplements you might have noticed that some products are labelled as containing “vitamin D2” or “vitamin D3”. The reason for this is that there are two different varieties of vitamin D which come from different sources but work in very similar ways.

To learn more about the difference, and for some tips on topping up your vitamin D, read on.  

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient found in some of the food we eat. Our bodies can also generate vitamin D through sun exposure.

We need vitamin D because it helps to keep the bones, muscles, and teeth healthy by regulating levels of calcium and phosphate in the body. Not getting enough vitamin D can cause problems with the bones.

In the autumn and winter when UV light in the UK isn’t very strong, we need to eat foods rich in vitamin D. The NHS also recommends taking 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D supplements each day.

Vitamin D3 comes from animals, vitamin D2 from plants

As we’ve talked about, there are two main types of vitamin D:

• Vitamin D2
• Vitamin D3

Vitamin D2 is known as ergocalciferol and is found in plants and fungi e.g. mushrooms. 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.

You can learn more about supplements suitable for vegans by reading our blog.

Vitamin D3 is known as cholecalciferol and is found in animals and animal products, including oily fish like salmon and mackerel. This is also the type of vitamin D that our bodies generate through sun exposure. If you eat animal products, you can buy supplements that contain vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 is formed in your skin

When UV light hits the skin it acts on a compound called 7-dehydrocholesterol, converting it into vitamin D – and more specifically, vitamin D3.

It’s not clear exactly how much time we need to spend in the sun to get adequate vitamin D, however we do know the following:

• UV light isn’t strong enough in the UK between October and March to generate adequate levels of vitamin D
• People with darker skin need more time in the sun than people with lighter skin
• Too much sun exposure puts you at risk of skin cancer, so it’s important not to spend long periods outside with no sunscreen or shade

As a rough guide, the British Skin Foundation recommends “daily sunlight exposure” of 10 to 15 minutes for people with lighter skin, and 25 to 40 minutes for people with darker skin.

Just make sure that when you’re spending time outside you’re doing it safely, by:

• Spending time in the shade during the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm)
• Using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and a UVA star rating of at least four
• Making sure you don’t burn

Read our sun safety blog for more advice. 

Vitamin D3 is more effective at improving vitamin D status

Supplements containing vitamin D3 are thought to be more effective than those containing vitamin D2, so if you have the option of choosing between the two, it’s best to go for vitamin D3. If you’re vegan, you’ll want to stick to vitamin D2.

How to improve your vitamin D status

It’s thought that lots of people who live in northern latitudes, including the UK, are deficient in vitamin D, because of the lack of sun during the autumn and winter. For this reason, the NHS recommends that everybody takes a vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms (mcg) each day between October and March.

If you have dark skin, spend most of your time inside, or cover most of your skin when you go outside, you may want to consider taking vitamin D supplements year-round.

Shop supplements

You can also supplement your vitamin D status by eating one or two portions of oily fish each week, as this is the best source of dietary vitamin D. If you don’t eat animal products, wild mushrooms and foods fortified with vitamin D (e.g. cereals) are a good alternative. Find out more by reading about the sources of vitamin D.

References

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d
www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight
www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/sunscreen-and-sun-safety

Understanding the difference between D3 and D2 can greatly impact your overall health and wellbeing

Over the past year, we’ve all learnt to value our health more. And a big part of protecting your health and wellbeing involves ensuring that your immune system can function at full capacity.

This is where vitamin D comes in. Vitamin D is essential for bone, teeth and muscle health alike, and helps to promote healthy immune function. The majority of our vitamin D intake comes from sunlight, as well as foods like egg yolks, liver, oily fish and fatty spreads.[1]

Vitamin D doesn’t just refer to one single vitamin

We tend to think of vitamin D as just one vitamin, but in reality it’s a family of nutrients that all share a similar chemical structure. The most common members of this family are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3.[2]

Both of these types will help you meet your vitamin D requirements, but they differ in a few key ways. We’re going to take a closer look at what separates these two vitamin D products, and why vitamin D3 is so important.

Vitamin D3 vs. Vitamin D2

Both vitamins D2 and D3 are important for your immune health, but research suggests that vitamin D2 is less effective than vitamin D3 when it comes to raising blood levels of vitamin D.[3] Vitamin D is important for all of us at all times, but especially during the winter months, if you are inside a lot of the time, have darker skin or are an older adult.[4]

These two forms mainly differ in where they are sourced. Vitamin D3 tends to be found in animal-sourced foods, while D2 is mostly present in plant sources and fortified foods.

Some of the most common sources of vitamin D3 include oily fish, liver, butter and egg yolk, while vitamin D2 is mostly extracted from fungi. Because vitamin D2 is cheaper to produce, it’s the most common form of vitamin D in fortified foods.

Vitamin D3 is formed on the skin when exposed to sunlight. UVB radiation tiggers the formation of vitamin D3 from the compound 7-dehydrocholesterol.[5] This means that, for people in equatorial countries like India, an estimated half an hour of midday sun twice a week provides enough vitamin D3. However, in cooler countries like the UK, supplements can help us reach our RDA.

Why is vitamin D3 so important?

Vitamin D3 yields higher levels of calcifediol when compared to vitamin D2. Calcifediol is the main circulating form of vitamin D in the blood, and is how healthcare providers examine our vitamin D levels.

In a study of older women, vitamin D3 was found to be nearly twice as effective as vitamin D2 when it came to raising blood levels of calcifediol.[6] Vitamin D2 supplements are also thought to degrade more over time, as they are more sensitive to humidity and temperature changes.[7]

So when it comes to supporting your immune health, vitamin D3 is the best option.

Doctor Seaweed’s Weed & Wonderful® Immunity+ capsules provide a vegan source of vitamin D3

Despite the fact that vitamin D3 usually comes from animal sources like eggs and butter, our Immunity+ capsules use vitamin D3 extracted from lichens – an incredible symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. This makes Immunity+ a wholly vegan source of vitamin D3, as well as providing both vitamin B12 and the benefits of seaweed.

All of this allows our Immunity+ capsules to contribute to numerous health benefits, including immune system function, thyroid health, metabolism, cognitive function and muscle function, as well as reducing tiredness and fatigue.

Discover Doctor Seaweed’s Weed & Wonderful® Immunity+ capsules for yourself today by clicking here. You can even subscribe and save 15% on every order!

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