Volume 199 - Issue 6
Vitamin D and health in adults in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Caryl A Nowson and Rebecca S Mason
Med J Aust 2013; 199 (6): 394. || doi: 10.5694/mja13.10432
Published online: 16 September 2013
Published online: 16 September 2013
In reply: People requiring a purely vegetarian source of vitamin D should use vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), which is produced by ultraviolet irradiation of the plant sterol ergosterol, and not vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which is derived from animal sources.
As cholecalciferol is derived from sheep’s wool, which does not involve the sheep being killed, several cholecalciferol supplements are certified as halal. Some capsules contain gelatine (an animal ...
In reply: People requiring a purely vegetarian source of vitamin D should use vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), which is produced by ultraviolet irradiation of the plant sterol ergosterol, and not vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which is derived from animal sources.
As cholecalciferol is derived from sheep’s wool, which does not involve the sheep being killed, several cholecalciferol supplements are certified as halal. Some capsules contain gelatine (an animal product), but liquid preparations of cholecalciferol overcome this limitation. Most vitamin D supplements available in Australia now contain cholecalciferol. The move to using cholecalciferol is related to data suggesting that ergocalciferol does not raise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels as effectively, although there are conflicting data about this.1 Many studies have clearly demonstrated that ergocalciferol is effective in preventing the development of rickets and can reduce falls in older people.2
Dietary sources of ergocalciferol in Australia include irradiated mushrooms,1 and irradiated yeast has produced bread with significant amounts of bioavailable vitamin D.3,4 These products may be useful to help maintain adequate vitamin D status in vegetarians, but their production will depend on consumer demand.
It is certainly now more challenging to obtain ergocalciferol supplements in Australia than in the past, but they can be bought online from the United States. It is likely that if there were sufficient demand for ergocalciferol supplements, Australian companies would respond. As an alternative, liquid forms of cholecalciferol may be acceptable to many people choosing a vegetarian lifestyle.
Competing interests
Rebecca Mason has received remuneration from the Australian Mushroom Growers’ Association.
References
- Nowson CA, McGrath JJ, Ebeling PR, et al; Working Group of Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society, Endocrine Society of Australia and Osteoporosis Australia. Vitamin D and health in adults in Australia and New Zealand: a position statement. Med J Aust 2012; 196: 686-687. 0_CHDBIDBD
- Flicker L, MacInnis RJ, Stein MS, et al. Should older people in residential care receive vitamin D to prevent falls? Results of a randomized trial. J Am Geriatr Soc 2005; 53: 1881-1888. 0_i1142869
- Hohman EE, Martin BR, Lachcik PJ, et al. Bioavailability and efficacy of vitamin D2 from UV-irradiated yeast in growing, vitamin D-deficient rats. J Agric Food Chem 2011; 59: 2341-2346. 0_i1142871
- Urbain P, Singler F, Ihorst G, et al. Bioavailability of vitamin D2 from UV-B-irradiated button mushrooms in healthy adults deficient in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011; 65: 965-971. 0_i1142875