Vitamin D-2 is a form of vitamin D. Your body uses vitamin D to absorb calcium and to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. This is important for building and maintaining strong bones. Vitamin D-2 is in only a few foods. Your main source of vitamin D is vitamin D-3, which your body makes from exposure to sunlight.
Blood Levels of Vitamin D
Doctors can tell how much vitamin D is in your blood by testing for 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This substance is what your body makes from vitamins D-2 and D-3. A test for 25-hydroxyvitamin D measures the combination of both forms of vitamin D. You cannot test them separately. A range of 20 to 50 ng/ml is the ideal amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in your blood. A score of 8 to 20 ng/ml means that you have an insufficiency in vitamin D. Below 8 ng/ml indicates deficiency. A score of 50 to 90 ng/ml means that your blood levels are too high. Above 90 ng/ml is considered toxic.
Vitamin D-2 Supplements
If you have a vitamin D deficiency, supplementing with vitamin D increase the levels in your blood. Vitamin D-2 supplements are available under the generic name, ergocalciferol. Your doctor may prescribe this type of supplement or vitamin D-3 supplements, called cholecalciferol. The Vitamin D Council recommends supplementing with vitamin D-3. The reason is that vitamin D-3 supplements have the same chemical structure as the vitamin D-3 that your body produces naturally from sunlight.
Vitamin D-2 Foods
In addition to taking supplements, you can also get more vitamin D-2 from your diet. Some mushrooms contain vitamin D-2. Products like milk and juices are sometimes fortified with vitamin D-2 as well. Manufactures also fortify foods with vitamin D-3. Vitamin D-3 is in the flesh of fatty fish. These include tuna, salmon and mackerel. Fish liver oils are also a good source of vitamin D-3.
Warnings
Too much vitamin D in your blood can lead to toxicity. This occurs if you take too many vitamin D supplements, either D-2 or D-3. Symptoms of toxicity include loss of appetite, dehydration, constipation, weakness, tiredness and vomiting. The basic treatment is to stop taking vitamin D supplements. Your doctor can check your blood levels to determine if this is the correct treatment. If you continue to overdose on vitamin D, it can lead to damage, kidney stones and hypercalcemia, which is an excess of calcium.
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