Vitamin D2 Supplements Lower Vitamin D3 Levels
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- Vitamin D2 supplementation was found to lower circulating vitamin D3 levels in participants of randomized controlled trials, according to a meta‑analysis published in Nutrition Reviews.
- Vitamin D3 raises overall vitamin D status more efficiently than D2 and uniquely activates type I interferon signaling, a key antiviral pathway, as shown in earlier research by Professor Colin Smith.
- Emily Brown, PhD research fellow at the University of Surrey, cautions that the newly identified D2‑induced D3 drop makes D3 the preferable supplement for most people during winter months.
- Cathie Martin, group leader at the John Innes Centre, emphasizes the need for accessible plant‑based vitamin D3 in the UK to replace D2 supplements.
Why it matters: The discovery drives UK consumers toward D3, boosting plant‑based D3 sales and squeezing D2 supplement market share, changing the UK vitamin‑D market and influencing public‑health guidance on winter supplementation.
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