Vitamin D spray equally effective as capsules, study finds

For patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux, tooth erosion and even oesophageal cancer can become a possibility. When this is combined with insufficient levels of vitamin D, serious oral health problems can occur. “Often people can forget, or don’t want to take a daily supplement, especially those who take multiple medications. Children and people who have trouble swallowing due to medical conditions can also have difficulty taking tablets, so to find that a spray is just as effective at raising people’s vitamin D levels provides a real alternative for those whose vitamin D levels are low,” said lead researcher Dr Bernard Corfe, senior lecturer in oncology and principal investigator in molecular gastro-enterology at the University of Sheffield.

The 2017 study took place over a six-week period during the middle of winter, a time when many people’s vitamin D levels can be depleted. In the trial, the researchers compared the rate of change of vitamin D status in response to a vitamin D₃ dose (3,000 IU per day), in both capsule and oral spray (sublingual) methods of delivery. According to the results, the oral spray method of delivering vitamin D was as effective as taking a capsule and supported the same rate of improvement in vitamin D levels in the trial volunteers.

“All participants achieved adequate levels of vitamin D after just 21 days of using an oral spray, with those individuals who were considered severely deficient at the beginning of the trial (with levels lower than 25(OH)D) experiencing the most effective uptake of the supplement,” noted Corfe.

In a 2016 report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, the need for all UK adults and children to take a vitamin D supplement throughout the winter months was emphasised. “This research is the opportunity to highlight the importance of this essential vitamin in supporting overall health, and in providing a valuable alternative source for those who may struggle to, or prefer not to, take tablets,” said Corfe.

The study, titled “Rate of change of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D following sublingual and capsular vitamin D preparations”, was published online on 23 September 2019 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ahead of inclusion in an issue.

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