Relative Efficacy of Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 in Improving Vitamin D Status: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Study answer

What this study found

Cholecalciferol yields greater improvements in vitamin D status than ergocalciferol, increasing total 25(OH)D by about 15.69 nmol/L (95% CI 9.46–21.93) and more effectively suppressing parathyroid hormone. Cholecalciferol raises 25(OH)D3 more; ergocalciferol raises 25(OH)D2 more; higher doses and bolus regimens show larger differences; daily dosing reduces the difference. Both vitamers raise their respective metabolites but no functional outcomes were reported in the analyzed studies. For fortification-level dosing, the advantage of cholecalciferol may be modest.

Study & population

Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials comparing ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol in apparently healthy humans.

Intervention

Regimens varied; cholecalciferol (D3) vs ergocalciferol (D2) administered in diverse schedules, including daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, and single bolus doses, via oral, intramuscular injections, or fortified foods (orange juice, malt drinks, biscuits, bread).

Key limitation

Heterogeneous study designs, populations, dosing regimens, durations, and analytical methods; many studies lacked detailed methodological reporting and were of moderate quality; few reported 25(OH)D2/25(OH)D3 separately; most data come from high-income regions; underrepresentation of children and tropical LMICs; no…

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Original abstract