What is the difference between Ddrops® vitamin D products?
What doesn’t change between Ddrops® products?
All of our Ddrops® products are made with only two high-quality ingredients.
The base for all of our liquid vitamin D supplements is fractionated coconut oil (that has been removed from the proteins and potential allergens). The only other ingredient is high-grade vitamin D. There are two kinds of vitamin D available as supplements: vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol).
What is the difference between vitamin D3 and vitamin D2?
The vitamin D3 in our Ddrops® liquid supplements starts as lanolin (you can read more about the source of our vitamin D3 here). Each drop of Vegan Ddrops® contains vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) 1000 IU (25 mcg). Vitamin D2 is purified from nutritional yeast that is exposed to UV light.
Vitamin D₃ (cholecalciferol) is made in the skin of animals and humans after sunlight exposure and also contained in supplements and fortified foods. Vitamin D3 is a form that is naturally produced in the cholesterol in the skin after UV sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is taken in some dietary foods from an animal source like oily fish. Some groups consider vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the preferred form of vitamin D supplementation because it matches the version found in humans[1]. Ddrops® products contain vitamin D3 sourced from lanolin (from sheep’s wool), then exposed to light. Cholecalciferol is the raw material needed by the body to produce a hormone, much like people use paper to write information. This form is not yet active in the body and must be transformed by the liver and kidneys to the active hormone.
Vitamin D₂ (ergocalciferol) is the form that is produced from plant and/or fungal sources. Vitamin D2 is sometimes used as a supplement, it is produced from plant and/or fungal sources that are exposed to light. Vegan Ddrops® contains vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). There is some controversy about vitamin D₂ as it may be less potent in the human body as vitamin D₃ and still requires activation by the liver and kidneys.
Which version should I give my child? What version should I take myself?
Your healthcare practitioner would be the best person to speak with regarding your specific needs around vitamin D supplementation. Dosing information for all Ddrops® products are specific to age groups and follow recommendations from local health authorities. These directions are located on each box of Ddrops®, on the insert included in each package, and on the bottle label. You may have been recommended to administer a different dose by your healthcare practitioner, but always read and follow instructions carefully for each Ddrops® product.