Is there a difference between vitamin d and d3?

If you’re like most people, then you probably don’t give much thought to vitamins. You know they’re supposed to be good for you, but that’s as much as you care about it. But what if I told you that there was more to vitamin D than just healthy bones and teeth? And what about vitamin D3? Isn’t that just the same thing? Well, get ready for a deep dive into the world of vitamins like never before, because in this article we are going to explore everything there is to know about vitamin D and its variants.

So What Exactly Are Vitamins?

First things first: let’s go over some basics here. Vitamins are organic substances that our bodies need in order to function properly. Most of them can’t be produced by the body itself, so they have to come from food or supplements. They play various roles in our bodies including aiding metabolism, boosting immunity, and keeping organs functioning normally – all pretty important stuff!

There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble (which means they dissolve in water) and fat-soluble (which means they dissolve in fats). Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and many B-vitamins such as B12 (because bacon doesn’t contain enough), while fat-soluble ones include vitamins A,E,K…and yes dummies VITAMIN D!

The Importance Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is widely known for being essential for strong bones due mainly because it helps our body absorb calcium (Yup! Milk isn’t enough guys!). But during recent years studies discovered… drum roll pleaseeeeee…that it does wayyyyyy more than that!(yes we say wheyyyy meannwhile scientists high five each other when their experiments succeed)

It helps regulate immune responses(no ,you wont turn into a hulk from too much vitamin D), supports brain function, and regulates insulin levels (nope! not just carbs for different people) among other things.

The most natural way of getting Vitamin D is sunlight(yes yes you guys can technically call it sunshine vitamin😌). But what if you live in areas that get little exposure to it? Then the good news is, like most vitamins, we can get our daily dose through supplements or by eating foods which are rich in this magical vitamin because winter blues might make us miss out on such an essential nutrient 💁‍♀️

What Is Vitamin D3?

Now that we’ve gotten the basics covered of how awesome vitamin D is (Keep practicing your ‘I need more ,give me all’voice), let’s move on to d3.

Vitamin D3… isn’t that just another name for regular ol’ vitamin D?(wrongo bongo!) Actually, no. While they may seem similar (and indeed have some common features) there are differences between them.

Simply put – Vitamin d comprises one structure while on the other hand lower case letter d & number 3 with number enclosing parentheses say Vital adenosine something molecules come together and make up “D-3″(Wait,you mean those two aren’t exactly same even though their difference seems so minimal!!! I’m FREAKING OUT MAN🤯)

Where Do We Get It From?

While both types can be found in supplement form(count me IN!), each one comes from a different source. So where does this particular ‘d’ come from? Our bodies actually synthesize it using cholesterol when our skin is exposed to UVB radiation.(“wait did she say cholesterol ? Does taking Vitamins involve being conscious about high cholesterol food items as well?” 🧐)

This means getting enough outdoor time when the sun is shining – or getting UV radiation via a tanning bed (Please be careful with those beds folks), for that extra vitamin D boost. This type of Vitamin D3 can oftentimes go by names like cholecalciferol and colecalciferol, which are synonymous.

Vitamin D2, on the other hand, comes from plant-based sources; it’s produced by fungi when exposed to UVB light. So if you’re looking for vegetarian-friendly options then as an alternative d2 is great . Since we’re talking about foodies – Mushrooms Y’all !(Don’t underestimate this type though! It’s also important)

Lack Of Vitamin D

So what happens when we don’t get enough of either vitamin? First off: shame on us(self-care alert)! Secondly, a deficiency could lead to all sorts of health issues including weak bones (why let osteoporosis take away your milkshake moments!? NOOOOPE , NODDLE IT BABY 🍝) infections😴 (Your precious sleep 👀🤨), skin problems(try taking Vitamins before hoping expensive products would fix everything!!!) and even depression(YOUR COMPLETE MENTAL HEALTH IS AT QUESTION).

A little bit more about Depression tho- SAD(seasonal affective disorder) sucks!(period). Basically during winter months without exposure to sunlight people often enter Starks hibernation mode but did you know lack of it has also been linked to increased suicide risk?(It doesn’t hurt just going out in open-air once in awhile Buddys/mates/ fellas)

Ok I’ll stop being mama now ….Back to Vitamins

But why does vitamin deficiency happen?

As already mentioned earlier our bodies require sun rays ie.,UVB radiation in order to produce this particular “wheyyy” one, so not spending enough time outdoors puts you at risk.

Also, if you live in an area where there’s barely any sunshine during the winter months or if simply prefer to avoid the sun altogether(I see no point of going outside when Netflix is an option 😛), then you might need supplements. It’s important to discuss this with a doctor since overconsumption can also lead to health problems(We take vitamins for good health not bad!)

The Differences Between Vitamin D and D3

So let’s get down to it: how do vitamin d and d3 differ from each other? Well, as mentioned earlier while they may have some common features (for e.g. both are fat-soluble ), there are differences between them:

  • Sources: Vitamin D comes mostly from sunlight exposure, whereas Vitamin D3 comes from animal sources.
  • Production: Our bodies produce ‘vitamin’ d after their skin catches UVB rays , Whereas Our bodies convert something called 7-dehydrocholesterol into Vit-D-3 upon contact with ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB).
    (these sub-headings need sprucing up… ideas anyone?? Though was thinking maybe “Vitamin like Absorption methods” 🤷‍♂️)

Now that we know those basics lets further examine what these two bring differently on table.

Absorption

It turns out that vitamin D helps promote calcium absorption in the body (“here bone be strong Yarrr mateeees!!!”). Similarly – ya guessed it more ! 😀 – Vitamin d3 does help boost calcium uptake!

If ingested together through food or supplements, instead of being absorbed together,differences become more noticeable(vit-d absoprobs twice easily than vit-d-3) . So why worry ?whether it’s in your fortified milk bowl or your choice beef so i encourage complacency guys !

Benefits And Dosage

While both vitamins share many benefits, there are differences where one outshines the other.D3 actually is absorbed much more quickly by your body than Vitamin D2(isn’t that all what we want!🔥).

Studies show time n again wide majority of people don’t receive sufficient amount per day(Ughhh but Mama said just take a capsule and you’re good to go!! 😭😩) . Most supplements contain 400-1000 IU for adults which might improve levels. So choose your dose wisely !

Uses

Vitamin D – known mainly for their role in bone health-also promote calcium absorption through intestines.Vit d orally taken is helpful when bones are not getting enough calcium. It also aids neurons development & brain function.

D3 same as Vit-D promotes intestinal absorptions of minerals like Calcium,Pancreatic beta cells secretion ,immune system functioning(Helloo hulk!)&enhances fetal skeletal growth(You heard it here first ladies! Vit-d3 loves the babies?❤) (Jokes Alert : No no this doesn’t mean over consumption will give birth to giant babies).

Conclusion

So there you have it: a breakdown of vitamin d and its popular brethren Vitamin d3 .

It’s apparent both are essential components required for our bodies’ wellbeing. While each has its own set of strengths on things covered above helps us decide better which one to opt with regards to dosage,absorption qualities & personal preferences.

However, should you find yourself deficient – Please do consult with Doctor regarding best course of action since imbalance could lead to serious consequences.

Until next medical adventure stumbles upon me signing off in humor..Take care Fellas !

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