Los Angeles, CA
A 37-year-old female asked:
Where does vitamin d in the supplements come from nowadays? i think it used to come from cod liver oil, right?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. David Milleranswered
Family Medicine 11 years experience
Natural sources: Vit d is produced industrially from natural sources such as wool-oil and yeast and mushrooms. Often a precursor is obtained from these sources and then exposed to uv light to be converted to vit d, similar to how it is made in our skin.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Michio Abeanswered
Internal Medicine 27 years experience
Vitamin D: There are two forms of vitamin d supplements, d2 and d3. D3 is the form naturally made in humans by exposure of the skin to uv, and more potent than d2. D2 is produced industrially from yeast or mushrooms. D3 is produced industrially from its precursor substance, dehydrocholesterol, in wool grease (lanolin) from sheep or other woolly animals. Exposure to uvb light and purification are needed.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Sep 28, 2016
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