How is vitamin d made

Why we use it : There are two major forms of supplemental vitamin D:. New, vegan alternatives manufactured from lichen have also recently become available and Honest is exploring this as an option for our formulas. Vitamin D2 ergocalciferol — This form is synthesized by plants commercially made from irradiated fungus and is not naturally produced by the human body.

Initial studies conducted several decades ago regarding the efficacy of the two forms showed little difference between the two when addressing the occurrence of rickets in children. But more recent studies reveal compelling evidence of why vitamin D3 is superior for supplementation:. Vitamin D3 is approximately three times more potent than vitamin D2, and it also binds to the protein receptors in your body much more effectively.

This helps maintain levels in your circulatory system and more effectively increase blood level concentrations for optimal health. Vitamin D2 also has a shorter shelf life meaning by the time you get it, it might not be as potent as the day it was bottled and it has a greater likelihood of impurities.

The U. Oz recommends 1, IU. Andrew Weil recommends 2, IU. According to Dr. After reviewing the body of research available in , they found adverse effects in people consuming 40, IU daily for at least 12 weeks and one case of toxicity at 10, IU after more than 7 years of daily consumption. There was no evidence of toxicity between 4, IU and 10, IU, but they tend to err on the side of caution. We offer health-promoting supplementation, but encourage you and your family to get outside and enjoy the sun to reap the full benefits of vitamin D.

Search Search. You and Your Hormones. Students Teachers Patients Browse. Human body. Home Hormones Vitamin D. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone produced by the kidneys that helps to control the concentration of calcium in the blood and is vital for the development of strong bones.

Alternative names for vitamin D Calcitriol or 1,dihydroxyvitamin D ; ergocalciferol vitamin D 2 ; cholecalciferol vitamin D 3 ; calcidiol hydroxyvitamin D What is vitamin D? How is vitamin D controlled? What happens if I have too little vitamin D? Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: Exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin.

An evaluation of the relative contributions of exposure to sunlight and of diet to the circulating concentrations of hydroxyvitamin D in an elderly nursing home population in Boston. Vitamin D absorption in healthy subjects and in patients with intestinal malabsorption syndromes. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; Malone M. Recommended nutritional supplements for bariatric surgery patients.

Ann Pharmacother. Vitamin D and the bariatric surgical patient: A review. Obes Surg. Vitamin D: A D-lightful health perspective. Nutr Rev. Human plasma transport of vitamin D after its endogenous synthesis. The role of the pharmacist in the identification and management of secondary hyperparathyroidism.

US Pharm. Hypovitaminosis D in medical inpatients. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. Peterlik M, Cross HS. Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose for multiple chronic diseases. Eur J Clin Invest. Vitamin D and human health: Lessons from vitamin D receptor null mice. Endocr Rev. FGFKlotho signaling stimulates proliferation and prevents vitamin D-induced apoptosis.

J Cell Biol. Toll-like receptor triggering of a vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial response. Injury enhances TLR2 function and antimicrobial peptide expression through a vitamin D-dependent mechanism.

Cod liver oil, vitamin A toxicity, frequent respiratory infections, and the vitamin D deficiency epidemic. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Serum vitamin D concentration and prostate cancer risk: A nested case-control study. Vitamin D and calcium intakes and breast cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Plasma hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of incident hypertension. Serum hydroxyvitamin D, ethnicity, and blood pressure in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Hypertens. Optimal vitamin D status attenuates the age-associated increase in systolic blood pressure in white Americans: Results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Vitamin D status and health correlates among German adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. Clin Nephrol. Baseline serum hydroxyvitamin D is predictive of future glycemic status and insulin resistance: The Medical Research Council Ely Prospective study Relationship between vitamin D3 and the peripheral circulation in moderate arterial primary hypertension.

Blood Prees Monit. Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in obese children and adolescents. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. Vitamin D in relation to metabolic risk factors, insulin sensitivity and adiponectin in a young Middle-Eastern population. Eur J Endocrinol. Vitamin D status and arterial hypertension: A systematic review. Nat Rev Cardiol.

Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism and serum vitamin D levels on ambulatory blood pressure measurement and left ventricular mass in Turkish hypertensive population. Blood Press Monit. Effects of weight loss on serum vitamin D in postmenopausal women. The effects of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on blood glucose and markers of inflammation in nondiabetic adults. Diabetes Care.

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on symptoms of depression in overweight and obese subjects: Randomized double blind trial. Vitamin D and risk of cognitive decline in elderly persons. Serum vitamin D and the risk of Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol. Liebman B. From sun and sea: New study puts vitamin D and omega-3s to the test.

Nutrition Action Healthletter. Prevention of nonvertebral fractures with oral vitamin D and dose dependency: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Christine G. Vitamin D Supplementation: An Update. Serum hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of multiple sclerosis. Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: A birth-cohort study. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Pregnancy-specific association of vitamin D deficiency and bacterial vaginosis.

Am J Obstet Gynecol. Obstet Gynecol. Arch Ophthalmol. Synthetic studies of vitamin D3 analogues. Synthesis of oxavitamin D analogues. Chem Pharm Bull. Brown AJ, Slatopolsky E. Vitamin D analogs: Therapeutic applications and mechanisms for selectivity. Mol Aspects Med. Those are the basic facts, but some questions might remain: How should you get vitamin D? How much should you get and when should you worry about your levels?

In light of these common questions, our Yale Medicine doctors help clear up some confusion about vitamin D, separating fact from fiction. Vitamin D is stored in fat. Modest increases above the RDA are not likely to cause harm. The child, who developed high blood calcium hypercalcemia , had to be hospitalized and treated with several types of medications to get the calcium levels down to normal levels. You can now get 50, IU tablets over the counter.

There are patients with specific issues who might need a prescription for high levels of vitamin D, but for most people, that amount will raise your vitamin D level too high. Babies should be getting smaller amounts in their first year of life, between and IU. Most people should be fine. Testing is important only for certain populations: for people who are institutionalized; for patients with a gastrointestinal disorder like inflammatory bowel disease or osteoporosis ; those who have had weight loss surgery; those on anti-convulsant medications; and children who are immobilized and not outside and active.