Check this detail on your Vitamin D label – are you getting what you asked for?

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins in the pantheon of micronutrients however it’s often the most overlooked. This is likely because in a sun-kissed country like Australia, most of us, most of the time, get all the vitamin D we need from exposure to the sun. However there’s some people who need to take Vitamin D supplements for a variety of reasons:

• People with Celiac Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease where malabsorption is possible may also suffer from Vitamin D deficiency
• People with naturally dark skin do not produce as much Vitamin D when exposed to the sun as people with light skin.
• Diabetics – a study found that 60% of people with Type 2 diabetes have Vitamin D deficiency
• Elderly people with mobility issues who may not be able to get outside as often as they need to get optimal exposure to the sun.
• People with chronic illness who may not be able to get outside as often as they need to get optimal exposure to the sun.
• People with a family history of, or are concerned about, skin cancer, who fastidiously avoid the sun and/or wear sunscreen at all times when in the sun.

There are many Vitamin D supplements on the market that can help the cohort listed above  maintain healthy Vitamin D levels, however it is important to read the fine print.

Not All Vitamin D Supplements Are Created Equal

There are two main forms of Vitamin D – Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. The essential difference between the two is that Vitamin D2 is produced from plants while Vitamin D3 is produced by animals, including humans.

Vitamin D2 supplements are cheaper to buy as they’re easier to produce however there’s growing evidence that they may not be as effective, or readily absorbed as Vitamin D3.

A study conducted by the University College of Los Angeles in 2016 found that Vitamin D3 supplements boosted levels of Vitamin D in the body more effectively that Vitamin D2 supplements. This was backed up by a Review conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition in India in 2021 that found Vitamin D3 was more effective in improving Vitamin D levels than Vitamin D2… “irrespective of the participant demographics, dosage and vehicle of supplementation”.

So if you’ve been advised by a medical practitioner to top up your Vitamin D levels with supplements, it pays the read the label and check you’re getting the most effective form – Vitamin D3.

Note from National Custom Compounding: National Custom Compounding can make up once-weekly and once-monthly doses of Vitamin D3. We can prepare 10000IU doses which is a stronger preparation than the typical dose of 1000IU produced by most vitamin companies.

For more information contact one of the friendly team from National Custom Compounding on 1300 731 755 or [email protected].

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