Vitamin D is one of the few substances whose supplementation is recommended even by supporters of obtaining all the necessary ingredients from natural food sources. The urgent alarms of specialists regarding the consequences of vitamin D deficiency caused a flood of the supplement market with various types of preparations promising to effectively supplement the deficiencies of this valuable ingredient.
However, the variety of supplementation forms proposed by manufacturers can give you a headache. Therefore, before visiting the pharmacy, it is worth getting acquainted with the properties of individual forms of supplementation.
D2 vs. D3
The composition of preparations with vitamin D differs primarily chemical formin which the sun vitamin is present in them. On the Polish market, there are supplements containing ergocalciferol, i.e. vitamin D2 of plant origin, and cholecalciferol – vitamin D3, obtained, among others, from from fatty sea fish and lanolin. Although the beneficial effect of the vitamin in any form remains unchanged, the significantly longer half-life of vitamin D3 means that in order to maintain its appropriate concentration in the blood, it can be used less frequently than D2, which facilitates systematic supplementation.
Tablets vs. capsules
Supplements containing vitamin D are usually available in two basic forms – in the form traditional tablets or capsules. Regardless of the form in which vitamin D is delivered to the body, it has a similar effect on it, however, several times shorter capsule disintegration time may positively affect the bioavailability of the substance contained in them and its better absorption. In addition, vitamin D, which is fat-soluble, is better absorbed in the presence of oil, i.e. in the form of a capsule. It is also good to pay attention to the type of oil: sunflower oil will be better than palm or coconut oil. The composition of the capsule may differ from the composition of the tablet by the amount of various additives. The capsule has definitely less of them, which is an undoubted advantage.
Additional ingredients
Among the manufacturers of preparations with vitamin D, you can also find supplements supplemented with additional substances. Vitamin D is often combined with calcium compounds to additionally support the skeletal system. Supplementation with preparations such as Vita buer D3+K2 (a dietary supplement, manufacturer Takeda Pharma sp. z oo) combining vitamin D and vitamin K, which help maintain healthy bones by participating in their proper mineralization, is also used more and more often. Although most of the vitamin D supplements available for sale have seemingly similar properties and have a beneficial effect on our body, before choosing a particular product, it is worth getting acquainted with its exact composition. Sometimes subtle differences or additions to popular pharmaceuticals can affect the effectiveness of supplementation and the speed of its effects.
