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Vitamin D3 was found more effective than Vitamin D2 in maintaining and restoring skeletal muscle and heart function in male rats, according to a study by researchers at the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad.
The study, titled "Dietary Vitamin D2 Is Less Potent Than Vitamin D3 at Maintaining or Restoring Structure and Metabolism of Skeletal Muscle and Heart in Male Rats", was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. Researchers compared the effects of Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 on skeletal muscle and cardiac parameters in rats during both maintenance and recovery from vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is widely recognised for its role in calcium regulation and bone health. However, it also has functions in tissues including skeletal muscle and the heart. The vitamin occurs mainly in two forms - Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. Both forms are used in dietary supplements and food fortification, but researchers noted that evidence on whether the two forms have similar effects beyond bone health has remained limited. To investigate the differences, researchers used weaning male Sprague-Dawley rats and provided them with diets containing vitamin D2, vitamin D3, a combination of both forms, or a vitamin D-deficient diet. Researchers subsequently assessed several parameters, including body composition, muscle strength, skeletal muscle structure and metabolism, as well as markers associated with cardiac function. The study found that Vitamin D3 produced greater improvements in muscle mass, muscle fibre size and grip strength compared with vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 also showed stronger effects on markers associated with muscle development and energy metabolism. Similar differences were observed in cardiac parameters, with vitamin D3 showing greater effects on markers related to cardiac contractility and metabolism. The differences between the two forms were particularly pronounced during the recovery phase following Vitamin D deficiency, according to the researchers. Dr Ayesha Ismail, Scientist F at ICMR-NIN and corresponding author of the study, said both forms were effective in improving calcium-related parameters, but Vitamin D2 was less effective on several measures linked to muscle and heart structure and energy metabolism. "Although both forms of vitamin D were effective in improving calcium-related parameters, vitamin D2 was less effective than vitamin D3 in several parameters related to muscle and heart structure and energy metabolism," Ismail said. Dr Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN, said the findings indicated that Vitamin D3 may have greater effectiveness in maintaining and restoring skeletal muscle and cardiac functions. "The findings indicate that vitamin D3 may be more effective than vitamin D2 in maintaining and restoring skeletal muscle and cardiac functions," Kulkarni said. She, however, stressed that further research would be required before drawing conclusions about the effects of the two forms of vitamin D in humans. "Further studies are needed to establish the effects of the two forms of vitamin D on skeletal and extra-skeletal functions and their implications for supplementation and fortification programmes," she said. The researchers said the findings provide additional evidence on differences between vitamin D2 and D3 beyond their established role in calcium regulation and bone health, while highlighting the need for further studies to assess their relevance to human health. (ANI)
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