Vitamin D3 May Be More Effective Than D2, New โฃResearch Suggests
Many people inโข the UK take vitamin D supplements, particularly โduring the winter months when sunlight is limited, toโ support bone and immune health and meet the recommended daily intake of 10 micrograms. Though, โขnewโข research from the University of Surrey, John โคInnes Centerโข and Quadram Institute Bioscience suggests that โข vitamin D3 might potentially โbe a more beneficial choice than vitamin D2 for most individuals.
The study, โขpublished in Nutrition Reviews, analysed data from multiple โฃtrials and found that taking vitamin D2 supplements canโค actually โค lower levels of vitamin D3 – โthe โform theโข body naturally produces and utilizes most effectively. In many cases, vitamin D3 levels were lower inโ those taking D2 โcompared to those not supplementing at all.
“We discovered that vitamin D2 โคsupplements โขcanโ actually decrease levels of vitamin D3 in the body, which is a previously unknown โeffect,” explains Dr.Emily Brown, Led โคResearcher โfrom the University of surrey. “This suggests that, subject to personal considerations, vitamin D3 โsupplements โmay be more beneficial.”
This finding is supportedโ by โขprevious research published in Frontiers in Immunology,which indicated that vitaminโ D2 and โD3 don’t function identically in supporting the โขimmune system. Vitamin D3 appears to stimulateโค the type Iโ interferon signalling system – a crucial first line of defense against viruses and bacteria – โwhile vitamin D2 โฃdoes not.
“we have shownโ that vitamin D3, but not vitamin D2, appears to stimulate the type I interferon โคsignalling system,” says Professor Colin Smith from the University โขof Surrey. “thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining aโ foothold in the body.”
Researchersโ emphasize the need for further investigation into the distinct โคfunctionalities of vitamin D2 and D3 to determine if vitamin D3 should be the first-line suggestion for supplementation, taking individual needs into account.
Professor Cathie Martin of the Johnโ Innes Centre highlights the importance of making plant-based โvitamin D3 more accessible inโ the UK.
Professor Martin Warren, Chief Scientific Officer at the Quadram Institute, stresses the importance of addressing โwidespread vitamin D deficiency, particularly during winter, and finding the most effective supplementationโ or fortification strategiesโ for public health.