How much Vitamin D should you take?

For strong bones, teeth and muscles everyone should consider taking vitamin D all year round and particularly in winter. A lack of vitamin D can cause muscle soreness and bone pains. Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphate which are essential for building strong bones and promoting muscle recovery.

The recommended daily intake for vitamin D is 10 micrograms per day. Sometimes the amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units (IU). 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU. This official figure is grossly suboptimal and I recommend taking minimum 2000IU daily and up to 400IU daily for 6 months if you start off in a deficient state.

Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods.

Sources include:

• oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel

• red meat

• liver

• egg yolks

• fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals

It's difficult to get enough vitamin D through food alone so most of us will benefit from taking daily or weekly supplements. However do not exceed 4000IU (100 micrograms) of vitamin D in a day as this can be harmful long term.

How to take vitamin D

Vitamin D is fat soluble and therefore it is best taken with a meal.

Vitamin D3 and K2 is a popular combination to drive essentil nutrients into the bone.

References

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/