Why Choose Earthlight®
Earthlight Whole Food Vitamin D is a clean label, plant-based ingredient that can help you create cutting-edge supplements and fortified foods that respond to the latest consumer trends in the market. Earthlight delivers concentrated Vitamin D with low use levels, which means it won’t affect the taste or texture of your formulations.
Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) is sourced from Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and contains no other ingredients. Earthlight is a GMO free, organic and vegan friendly whole food. The production process is solvent-free, making this a choice for environmentally conscious consumers.
The Importance of Vitamin D
Adequate levels of Vitamin D are important for a number of functions, including bone health, mineral absorption and a healthy immune system. Earthlight Whole Food Vitamin D is a unique solution for Vitamin D supplementation that addresses several important consumer trends, including vegan, organic, whole food and clean label. And let’s not forget the increased need for Vitamin D for people who pursue plant-based diets. Earthlight is cost-effective and is produced in the United States.
Vitamin D – A bit of History
The term Vitamin D refers collectively to the vitamers D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol) and their metabolites, which are all functional in the body. People rarely get just one form of vitamin D. Dietary vitamin D2 comes primarily from plants, yeasts, and fungi; dietary vitamin D3 comes mostly from animals, although a supplemental form can also be produced from lichen. Both D2 and D3 require irradiation (e.g., from sun exposure) to be formed from their sterol precursors: ergosterol, a phytosterol, is transformed into ergocalciferol (D2); cholesterol, an animal sterol, is transformed into cholecalciferol (D3).
Until relatively recently, all food fortification of vitamin D was with D2. Vitamin D3 is also often used, but D2 is still more abundant, cost-effective, and has less ecological impact. In addition to making vitamin D in our skin, we can also obtain D3 from certain animal foods, such as beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, and fatty fish. Vitamin D3 sold as a supplement typically is derived from sheep’s wool (lanolin) although there are versions derived from lichen. Ergocalciferol (D2) can also be synthesized pharmaceutically and is available as a high-dose prescription medicine.
Resources – Downloads and Documents:
Click here for Formulating a cost-effective, whole food source of Vitamin D presentation
Click here to download the Vitamin D2 and D3 comparison document
Click here for the Earthlight Sell sheet
Click here to view Dr Jeremy Appleton’s Vitamin D presentation
Click here for more Earthlight information
