Are Vitamin D₃ Tablets and Oil Drops Equally Effective in Raising S-25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations? - A Post-Hoc Analysis of an Observational Study on Immunodeficient Patients
Nutrients 2020, 12(5), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051230
by Maria Helde Frankling 1,2,*OrcID,Anna-Carin Norlin 3,Susanne Hansen 3,Emilie Wahren Borgström 3,Peter Bergman 3,4OrcID and Linda Björkhem-Bergman 1,2,5
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D on Immune Function)
This study compared the results of tablet vs vitamin D oil on people who were taking antibiotics
Both forms raised the blood level of vitamin D a similar amount (as would be expecrted)
The oil form resulted in reduced need for antibiotics
Suspect that some of the oil form got into the body sublingually
- Which is much faster (does not have to get through stomach and small intestiine)
- And, sublingual/topical forms can be directly activated by tissues throughout the body
Note: a Vitamin D nanoemulsion appears to be even more bio-available than the oil form
- Nanoemulsion vitamin D is again found to be the best liquid form (for rats in this case) – June 2019
- Vitamin D nanoemulsion etc. for fortification, pills, injections, topical and cancer – July 2019
- Nanoemulsion Vitamin D may be a substantially better form
- Vitamin D sprayed inside cheeks (buccal spray) - several studies
Getting Vitamin D into your body has the following summary chart - and a lot of details
Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Background: Vitamin D₃ supplements are available as tablets or oil drops, but there is no consensus as to whether either of these preparations is more effective than the other.
Methods: We compared the effectiveness of tablets versus oil in raising S-25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25-OHD) in plasma by re-analyzing data from a previously performed observational study in which immunodeficient patients with S-25-OHD concentrations <75 nmol/L were randomly prescribed vitamin D₃ tablets (1600 IU/day) or vitamin D₃ oil-drops (1500 IU/day) for twelve months. Tablets and oil were compared for the effect on S-25-OHD concentrations after 3–5 months and antibiotic use.
Results: Data on S-25-OHD after ≥ 3 months was available for 137 patients treated with tablets and 69 with oil drops. Both groups exhibited a significant increase in S-25-OHD—oil-drops from 55 to 86 nmol/L and tablets from 52 to 87 nmol/L—with no difference between groups (p = 0.77). In a subgroup of patients without immunoglobulin replacement, vitamin D₃ supplementation with oil drops (n = 34) but not with tablets (n = 60) resulted in significantly lower antibiotic administration (p < 0.001 and p = 0.58).
Conclusion: Vitamin D₃ supplementation with tablets and oil drops were equally efficient in raising S-25-OHD concentrations. Only oil drops caused a reduction in antibiotic consumption in immuno-deficient patients who did not receive immunoglobulin replacement.