Vitamin D2 or D3

D3 is the more preferred, natural form of D. I've been taking the Carlson Brand D3, 2,000 IUs.

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There are really numerous forms of vitamin D.

I agree with kind2creatures. D3 is preferred. D2 can be converted by the liver and kidneys; but you have to assume that your liver and kidneys are very healthy for that to happen. My feeling is that oil is better than tablets.

Vitamin D2 is what we obtain from plants and fortified milk, but it is biologically inactive. D2 is converted in to calcidiol by the liver, then in to calcitriol by the kidneys.

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- Jim

Definitely D3 in capsule form. I use NOW brand from iherb; 5000ius - 120
softgels in a bottle. $8.00+ per bottle.

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The trouble with D2 is that we cannot be certain everyone can perform the conversion. There are numerous examples of people who have taken HUGE amounts of D2 and for it to have done no good or even harm for that matter, whatsoever.

Even if your body does absorb it and can use it it has the ability to speed up the catabolism of 25(OH)D


So if you look at this graph you see by 2 weeks those taking D2 were below the starting point and at the end of the month well below. As the production of Calcitriol (the active hormone) is based on the availability of both Vitamin D3 and circulating 25(OH)D we need both a store of D3 and high and stable circulating calcidiol 25(OH)D levels.

Taking D2 promotes a faster turnover of Calcidiol and that is serious bad news. The greater and more frequent the swings in vitamin D and it's derivatives the more fine tuning the system requires and the more likely things are to get out of balance.

Our DNA evolved to have 10,000~20,000iu/daily of D3 made by our skin, anything less is second best.

That is what bothers me about the dairy marketing Ted. "Fortified with Vitamin D". Most people will assume that they are getting sufficient D.

*edit* I see that you may be from the UK Ted. I think you might know what I'm saying with the fortified milk marketing anyway.

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- Jim

UK Milk isn't fortified with vitamin D at all. Our milk has so little vitamin D (because even cows don't spend sufficient time outdoors under what little sun the UK gets) that it is below the level that can be regarded as even a trace.

Irrespective of the amount declared on the USA fortified milk you must be aware that independent testing of milk shows that MOST fortified milk has LESS on the label than declared. Some as little as half the declared amount.
But even if it did contain the stated amount who is ever going to drink 40glasses of milk daily. It's impossible. The amount of vitamin D in a glass of fortified milk it too little to make any significant difference to your 25(OH)D levels. People who rely on food sourced Vitamin D will remain Vitamin D DEFICIENT as LESS than 10% of your daily vitamin D requirement can be sourced from foods, Fortified or not.

Milk fortification in the USA may use either ergocalciferol or cholecalciferol so you cannot be certain if its D2 or D3 unless of course they say on the label which they use.

What is the preferred Vit D?

Sunshine!!!

Actually the preferred form of Vitamin D is not always sunshine. As people move into their 40's and 50's the ability to form Vitamin D from sunshine becomes greatly reduced, even leading to difficiency. Supplementation is generally required.

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Indeed but we have to understand how vitamin D is made near the surface of the skin.
The first question is if you take you clothes off and lay naked outdoors right now will your skin make vitamin d?

This calculator will answer that question.

but that time only relates to 1000iu and we all know the body uses about 3000~5000iu/daily so you have to aim for 5000iu to ensure today's needs are met and you need to allow extra to make up for previous insufficiency and extra to put by for storage for use later. So whatever the calculator says multiply by 6 to be sure or expose a lot more skin.

We also have to understand it is a heat driven process. Laying naked in the sun in the cold, even if the calculator says it it theoretically possible, at your latitude, at that time of day, with your skin colour, it won't make any difference if your skin does not heat up.

Similarly if you go for the 10% skin exposure option you have to understand that once the Cholesterol in your skin has been exposed to UVB and converted to D3 if it isn't absorbed straight away it will be processed on into substances the body doesn't use. So the amount of vitamin D you make from hands/face will be limited by the amount of cholesterol available and if you are able to absorb it before it's turned into suprasterols that are junked.

I'm sure you are all aware Vitamin D3 is fat soluble, and thus can work out what happens if you are running or exercising vigorously, you sweat and the oil content of your sweat will bring to the surface of the skin the newly made vitamin D3. So if you then shower, was or even rub with a towel it's likely that the vitamin D will not be absorbed.
Remember also that laying down exposes more skin surface to sun than standing up.

So while sunshine may be a good source of vitamin d3 it's certainly not absolutely certain that simply being outside in the sun inevitably means your vitamin D status goes up.
There are plenty of people who spend all day outside, in and out of their swimming pools, who end up vitamin d deficient.
The only way you can be sure you are doing what is right for your body is to get 25(OH)D tested.

Much the same applies to UVB tanning beds. Here we have to be certain they have UVB (UK beds are legally required NOT to have high UVB content so unless you buy your own bed and put in high UVB output tubes it's probably not a good source of UVB, Then you must be careful NOT to combine your tanning UVB session with a swim, shower or massage as you may end up removing the D3 before you've had a chance to absorb it into your body.

While Arrowwind09 is correct in saying older people make less D3 from the same sun exposure they do still respond, so at every age laying naked in the midday sun is a good idea. It's just you also have to understand the process and even if you have been laying naked in the midday sun get tested to make sure your level stays above 55ng/ml 137.5nmol/l throughout the year, and perhaps a bit higher if you are pregnant , breastfeeding, have cancer, celiac, diabetes or any other inflammatory condition.

I didn't realize, Ted, that the skin had to heat up also.
That really puts people North of the equator at risk.

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All vitamin D is probably not created equal and vitamin D from sunshine is the Genuine stuff making it preferable to popping man made pills.

I am aware that getting enough vitamin D from the sun is nigh onto impossible, especially here in Wyoming in the winter. Therefor I pop 5000 IU's of Now Brand D3 every day. How bout that??

Indeed that is why the body produces endorphins to reward you with a feel good factor for making the effort to lay naked in the midday sun to acquire vitamin D3. But making and absorbing vitamin D3 are not the same do do check your 25(OH)D just to be sure your skin is still doing it's stuff and you aren't one of those folks who are vitamin D deficient despite ample sun exposure.
Should be about right if you weigh around 125lbs if you weigh more than that it's probably a bit low for the winter.

From October through to the end of Feb you may be better off with 3 x 5000iu every 2 days. Odd days of the week take 1 x 5000iu even days day 2 x 5000iu. That way you would get 7500iu/daily in winter. It's safer to aim high than aiming low. Amounts under 10,000iu/daily aren't going to cause problems particularly in the winter when UVB from sun isn't a complication.

Getting a 25(OH)D to check you are over 55ng/ml is worthwhile.