Vitamin D3 may raise levels higher and for longer than D2. According to the National Institute of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, both types will increase the levels of vitamin D in a person’s blood. Scientists are not sure yet if one is better than the other for human health. The main difference is that vitamin D2 comes from plants, whereas D3 comes from animals, including people. Scientists sometimes call D2 ergocalciferol and D3 cholecalciferol.īoth play the same role in the body, but vitamins D2 and D3 have slightly different molecular structures. Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are the two main forms of vitamin D. While sunshine is the main source of vitamin D, it is important to remember that sunburn can increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Other factors include the weather and the time of day. People with lighter skin make more vitamin D than people with darker skin, for example. When people expose their skin to the sun, a chain of reactions occur, allowing the body to produce vitamin D.ĭifferent things can influence how much vitamin D the skin makes. People tend to get most of their vitamin D from sunshine or through supplements. However, many manufacturers fortify products such as cereals and milk with the vitamin for public health reasons. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. In adults, it can increase the risk of osteomalacia and osteoporosis, which result in soft or fragile bones. This is when their bones soften and become prone to fractures. In children, a vitamin D deficiency may cause them to develop rickets. Research suggests that 50% of the worldwide population has insufficient levels of vitamin D, while 35% of adults in the United States have a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause serious health problems. It also plays a key role in muscle movement, the nervous system, and the immune system. It helps the body absorb the calcium it needs to build, maintain, and repair bones.

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