Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a nutrient your body needs for building and maintaining healthy bones. That's because your body can only absorb calcium, the primary component of bone, when vitamin D is present. Vitamin D also regulates many other cellular functions in your body. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties support immune health, muscle function and brain cell activity.
Vitamin D is found in five forms, but only two forms are used in the body: Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3 vs. Vitamin D2
Vitamin D2 is naturally found in mushrooms, including shiitake, Portobello, and crimini mushrooms. The vitamin D content increases when these mushrooms are exposed to UV radiation.
Vitamin D3 is found in non-vegan friendly foods like oily fish, liver, egg yolks, and butter. Thankfully there are two more ways to get Vitamin D3 that don’t include sacrificing your ethics: supplements and sunshine.
Vitamin D3 has proven superior to vitamin D2 in two other important ways:
l Vitamin D3 has better bioavailability, meaning more of the vitamin enters the bloodstream and can be used by the body.
l Vitamin D3 has a better half-life, meaning it stays in circulation for longer.
Sources of Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is unique in that (unlike vitamin D2) you can get it from the sun.
When exposed to UVB light, an organic compound in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol will activate and start churning out vitamin D3. The rate of production can vary by your age and skin tone, with older people and those with darker skin getting the least benefit.
Sunscreen can also decrease production by blocking both UV rays.
Getting a little sunlight every day can help you maintain your vitamin D levels, but it’s not the safest or most reliable way to get it given the risk of skin cancer.
It’s difficult to consistently get enough D3 from the sun alone which is why many doctors suggest taking a vitamin D3 supplement.
The people who should consider supplementing the most are vegans, people with darker skin complexions, and people who live in northern climates or don’t get regular midday sun exposure.
We suggest you avoid prolonged sun exposure if you want to prevent the early onset of wrinkles and skin cancer (something us sunbathers really should take seriously) and opt for vegan Vitamin D3 supplements.
Vegan Vitamin D3 Supplements
If you can’t find time each afternoon to stand in the sun, consider popping a vegan Vitamin D3 supplement. D3 supplements come from two major sources: lanolin (sheeps wool) and lichen extract (a propriety blend from lichen).
Looking for the perfect vitamin? Consider Jiangxi Chundi Biotech’s Vitamin D3. We love these supplements because they’re starting from plant-sterols, 100% plant-origin; Non-animal origin, avoiding TSE/BSE risk.
We are very careful about what we put into our bodies; our supplements are no different.