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Vitamin D₂ Is as Effective as Vitamin D₃ in Maintaining Circulating Concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D

Endocrine Section (M.F.H., R.M.B., T.C.C., E.K.K., A.A., A.D.T.), Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118; Mattapan Community Health Center (A.Y., D.B.), Mattapan, Massachusetts 02126; and Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (R.R., W.S.), San Juan Capistrano, California 92675

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Michael F. Holick, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, M-1013, Boston, Massachusetts 02118. E-mail: mfholick{at}bu.edu.

Context: Two reports suggested that vitamin D₂ is less effective than vitamin D₃ in maintaining vitamin D status.

Objective: Our objective was to determine whether vitamin D₂ was less effective than vitamin D₃ in maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels or increased the catabolism of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃.

Subjects and Design: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study of healthy adults ages 18–84 yr who received placebo, 1000 IU vitamin D₃, 1000 IU vitamin D₂, or 500 IU vitamin D₂ plus 500 IU vitamin D₃ daily for 11 wk at the end of the winter.

Results: Sixty percent of the healthy adults were vitamin D deficient at the start of the study. The circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (mean ± SD) increased to the same extent in the groups that received 1000 IU daily as vitamin D₂ (baseline 16.9 ± 10.5 ng/ml; 11 wk 26.8 ± 9.6 ng/ml), vitamin D₃ (baseline 19.6 ± 11.1 ng/ml; 11 wk 28.9 ± 11.0 ng/ml), or a combination of 500 IU vitamin D₂ and 500 IU vitamin D₃ (baseline 20.2 ± 10.4 ng/ml; 11 wk 28.4 ± 7.7 ng/ml). The 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ levels did not change in the group that received 1000 IU vitamin D₂ daily. The 1000 IU dose of vitamin D₂ or vitamin D₃ did not raise 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in vitamin D-deficient subjects above 30 ng/ml.

Conclusion: A 1000 IU dose of vitamin D₂ daily was as effective as 1000 IU vitamin D₃ in maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and did not negatively influence serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ levels. Therefore, vitamin D₂ is equally as effective as vitamin D₃ in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.

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