Page 53 - Retail Pharmacy Assistants - November 2020

The difference between vitamin D2 and D3 Mr Webster says vitamin D comes in the form of vitamin D2 (also called ergocalciferol and found in plants) and vitamin D3 (also called cholecalciferol and found in animals). A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that vitamin D3 was 87 per cent more successful in raising vitamin D levels in the blood of 33 healthy adults, compared with D2. Vitamin D3 was also stored more effectively in the body’s fat cells. Another small study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that while vitamin D2 and D3 were both effective in boosting vitamin D levels, people who took vitamin D3 kept up higher blood levels of vitamin D 77 days after stopping the supplements. Mr Webster says that sometimes a deficiency in vitamin D3 can be difficult to measure because of inflammation in the body. “Levels of useful vitamin D3 can be impacted by acute or chronic inflammatory processes,” he said. “Excessive sun exposure that creates sunburn can lead to lower levels of vitamin D because it’s an inflammatory process.” Skin types and vitamin D production It’s generally upheld that skin pigmentation influences vitamin D production. This comes up in Australian researcher Rebecca Vearing’s PhD project at the UK’s University of Surrey. Her starting point is determining why a vitamin D deficiency is an issue in Australia and globally. She pursues this interest through researching vitamin D levels in women globally in conjunction with researchers from the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, to shed some light on the issue. The research includes bone density scans, blood tests and muscle strength tests, as well as lifestyle, skin type, diet, sun exposure and latitude, with the intent being to gather information that assists in learning what recommendations can be given to people to ensure sufficient vitamin D levels. This Wollongong-based project is similar to a study centred on the African- Caribbean population of the UK that Ms Vearing completed, where she concluded that darker skinned people take longer to absorb the same amount of vitamin D compared with lighter skinned people in the UK, a country of relatively little sunshine throughout the year. This makes darker skinned people more at risk of a vitamin D deficiency and consequent poor bone health because darker skin has more melanin, a compound that can inhibit vitamin D production. Mr Webster says age is also generally seen as impacting vitamin D levels, because, as one gets older, vitamin D production in skin can become less efficient. VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES 51 “Excessive sun exposure that creates sunburn can lead to lower levels of vitamin D because it’s an inflammatory process.” RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • NOV 2020