Vitamin D2 or D3: What’s the Difference?

We’ve been bombarded by all the caveats against the dangers of sun exposure with just cause. We may, however, have forgotten to tread the golden mean here by swinging toward the extreme. Many of us have taken the warnings to heart, studiously avoided the sun, and slathered on tons of sunscreen in dread of freckles, aging skin, or skin cancer so much so that it probably slipped our minds about how important the sun is to our overall health. We need sunlight so our skin can manufacture an essential element: Vitamin D.

Strong bones depend on Vitamin D’s capacity to help absorb calcium and phosphorus. Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. Exposure to the sun at the right time and length of time prods the skin to produce Vitamin D.

Vitamin D can be further broken into two types: D2 and D3. Let’s see how these are different from the other.

What D2 Is

Interestingly, Vitamin D2, known chemically as ergocalciferol, can be produced in mushrooms grown under ultraviolet light. Wild mushrooms usually grow in the dark and don’t contain the vitamin. As a supplement, Vitamin D2 isn’t much of a favorite for the following reasons:

Less stable; easily broken down It is limited by a short shelf life. D3’s conversion rate to active energy trounces D2’s plodding rate by 500 percent. Does not bind as well as D3 to vitamin D receptors in the body and so isn’t a very reliable absorber of calcium and phosphorus for the bones.

D2 supplementation could be a fitness faux pas. A study from the Appalachian State University saw some muscle damage in a six-week experimental supplementation administered to Nascar pit crew men. After six weeks of supplementation, the crew was asked to do 90 minutes of intense exercise, after which a blood testing was administered.. The tests showed some muscle deterioration. D2 binds less effectively to proteins.

What D3 Is

Your skin manufactures Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol when you safely expose it to sunlight. This is the most natural form of Vitamin D and also the most common form of supplementation. Why D3 is such a popular choice of supplement stems from the facts that:

Vitamin D3 is more potent than D2. In cases of obesity, the high potency of D3 is preferred as extreme weight issues do tend to lower Vitamin D levels in the body. In addition, D3 remains as an active component after its conversion to an active form while D2 gets partially deactivated by the kidneys in the process. Vitamin D3 converts to the active form 500 percent faster than Vitamin D2.

D3 binds well to our Vitamin D receptors, making this a good choice to aid in your absorption of bone food: calcium and phosphorus. D3 has a more stable and longer shelf life, a quality clearly advantageous when used to fortify milk and other food products D3 costs as much as D2 but it has a lot more pros than cons going for it. As D3 is naturally manufactured by the skin, this is therefore more readily synthesized by the body.

Vitamin D3 is clearly the better choice of supplementation; although some believe there really isn’t much difference between these two forms of D vitamins. One thing is sure though. Our health is heavily reliant on Vitamin D. The vitamin plays a huge role in maintaining bone health. Calcium and phosphorus can’t do their jobs without adequate amounts of this vitamin.

The Australian Ministry of Health pegs the RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) according to age:

Category	Age	AI
INFANTS	0-6 months	5.0µg/day
	7-12 months	5.0µg/day
CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS
Boys and Girls	1-3 yrs	5.0 µg/day
	4-8 yrs	5.0 µg /day
	9-13 yrs	5.0 µg/day
	14-18 yrs	5.0 µg/day
ADULTS
Men & Women	19-30 yrs	5.0 µg /day
	31-50 yrs	5.0 µg /day
	51-70 yrs	10.0 µg /day
	>70 yrs	15.0 µg /day

Table Reference: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-d

Aside from sunlight, you may get a good dosage of D from dietary sources. Fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon are great sources. You may look also source D from eggs and fortified milk.
In case you don’t think you are getting enough Vitamin D, always consult your physician for supplementation.