Vitamin D Supplementation: How much Vitamin D3 should I take daily?
- drbrandanlee
- Sep 17, 2024
- 2 min read
One of the problems we face in trying to optimize our Vitamin D level is that we don't know how much Vitamin D supplementation we need. The ideal scenario would be to get all the Vitamin D we need from sunshine and healthy food, but this isn't a reality for most people. Most people don't spend enough time in the sun, and few foods provide enough Vitamin D. The result is that 90% of people are below-optimal, and 50% are dangerously low.
The solution to inadequate Vitamin D levels caused by inadequate sunshine and dietary sources is a good-quality Vitamin D supplement. There are three essential things to know when supplementing:
Choose Vitamin D3 over Vitamin D2. D3 comes from animal sources and is more easily utilized by the body. D2 comes from plant-based sources (usually irradiated mushrooms), and it takes more to accomplish what D3 can do. Look for an entire article about this here soon.
Your long-term goal should be to adopt a lifestyle that gives you optimal Vitamin D levels (between 40 - 60 ng/ml) with minimal supplementation. In the meantime, do whatever it takes to raise your Vitamin D level to the optimal range. The danger of sub-optimal Vitamin D is great enough to justify supplementing as much as necessary.
Test yourself. The only way to determine if you're taking enough Vitamin D3 is to take a Vitamin D test and see your status. You would be horrified to know how many people have been casually taking a Vitamin D supplement they picked up at the drug store for years and then finally getting tested to discover that their supplement wasn't potent enough or they weren't taking nearly enough. Don't Guess, Test!
Understanding the importance of proper Vitamin D supplementation is powerful, but the most transformational is using supplementation to achieve an optimal Vitamin D level. Check out this article to learn more about Vitamin D testing, or shop for Vitamin D Home Tests here.
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