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A new British study reveals the differences between vitamin D3 and D2. Vitamin D3 would be more beneficial for the immune system, allowing it to be strengthened in the face of illnesses.
Renowned for maintaining healthy bones as well as strengthening the immune and cellular system, vitamin D is essential for our body. Corn, not all vitamin D acts in the same way on our body. This is according to a recent study published in Frontiers In Immunology in which British researchers from the universities of Surrey and Brighton reveal the differences between vitamin D2 and D3.
Vitamin D3 is generally found in food (fatty fish, milk, eggs, etc.) and is produced naturally by exposure to the sun for 15 to 20 minutes. As for vitamin D2, it is present in its natural state in champions and certain plants.
Vitamin D3 for a better immune system
The study is based on 335 women of South Asian and European origin divided into three groups. The first group received a daily dose of 15 micrograms of vitamin D2, the second group received the same dose of vitamin D3 and finally the last a placebo for 12 weeks. The researchers carried out a genetic analysis at the beginning of the study and at the end in order to observe possible variations. Results : vitamin D3 appears to have an immune system-modifying effect (59% to 166% increase in vitamin D levels), which may help the body fight disease.
“Surprisingly, gene expression associated with type I and type II interferon activity, essential for the innate response to bacterial and viral infections, differed after vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 supplementation, only vitamin D3 having a stimulating effectwrite the researchers in the study. This study suggests that further investigation into the respective physiological roles of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 is warranted”.
Vitamin D: should you take food supplements?
With the few results obtained on the effect of vitamin D2, the researchers specify that it is preferable to turn to vitamin D3 to supplement: “these results show that vitamin D3 should be the preferred form, for fortified foods and dietary supplements”, they point out in the study.
In this winter period and in times of Covid-19, British scientists recommend all the more to consume foods rich in vitamin D3 as food supplements. Namely that a simple exposure to the sun through a walk or physical activity outdoors provides a significant intake of vitamin D3. Be careful with food supplements, an excess of vitamin D in the blood can generate hypercalcemia, an excess of calcium in the blood.