Vitamin D2 vs Vitamin D3: What Should You Choose?

By Dana Cruz Sep 08 2020, 05:37 AM EDT

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for the human body. Recently, low vitamin D levels had also shown links to risk of contracting COVID-19.

Vitamin D Supplement Image by Henryk Niestrój from Pixabay

But vitamin D is more than just one vitamin. It is a family of nutrients that have the same chemical structure, the Healthline noted.

In a person's diet, the most common members of this family are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Both types help people attain their vitamin D requirements. Both also occur in natural sources, but they also have differences.

Vitamin D2 is usually prescribed by doctors if people have vitamin D deficiency.

This article sums up the main differences between the two:

Vitamin D2 Comes from Plants, D3 Comes from Animals

These two forms of vitamin D have different food sources.

While vitamin D3 is commonly found in animal-sourced foods and D2 is naturally occurring in plant sources.

Some sources of vitamin D3 include oily fish and fish oil, liver, egg yolk and butter. Meanwhile, common vitamin D2 sources are some mushrooms and fortified foods.

As vitamin D2 is cheaper to make, it is the most common form in fortified food. It is also probably why doctors prescribe it more often.

Vitamin D3 is Formed in Your Skin

A person's skin is capable of producing vitamin D3. It does so when exposed to sunlight.

What triggers this reaction is ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight, said an article from Nutrients. The same process takes place in plants and mushrooms, forming vitamin D2, said the Frontiers in Plant Science.

If you're fond of going out and spending time in the sun, you may be getting all the vitamin D you need. Exposure to the sun may vary between countries, especially for those far away from the equator.

In some countries, longer time in the sun may be needed to achieve the same results. It is important to remember that spending too much time in the sun is also bad for your skin.

Vitamin D3 Raises Vitamin D in the Blood

Research suggests that vitamin D3 is more effective at raising nutrient blood levels than vitamin D2.

A 2011 study published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that vitamin D3 is 87 percent more potent in doing this than vitamin D2.

It also concluded that vitamin D3 is more effective in storing the body's fat cells.

Vitamin D2 Breaks Down Quicker

The reason why vitamin D3 is better at raising nutrients in the blood is because it stays in the body longer.

Susan Lanham-New, a professor of human nutrition at the University of Surrey, said it is better to take vitamin D3 as a supplement.

Vitamin D2 gets broken down in the body for far less time. So, it does not remain in the body for so long.

Bottomline

People can get vitamin D from various sources but, sometimes, a supplement is necessary. It is unlikely to get it from diet alone and it isn't always possible to get regular sunlight.

If you want to get vitamin D supplements, choose vitamin D3 instead of vitamin D2. It shows stronger and longer-lasting effects in the body, said an Insider report.

You also have to be careful with vitamin D toxicity, or too much of the vitamin. It can lead to nausea and vomiting, kidney problems, depression, and calcium buildup in blood vessels and vital organs.