The short answer: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, one of the main building blocks of bone. Adults need 600–800 IU a day, and very few foods contain much of it, so older adults and people who get little sun often run low. More is not better: the upper limit is 4,000 IU a day from all sources.
What vitamin D does
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, one of the main building blocks of strong bones. Together with calcium, it helps protect against osteoporosis [1].
How much you need
- Adults 19–70: 600 IU (15 mcg) a day [1].
- Adults 71 and older: 800 IU (20 mcg) a day [1].
- Upper limit for adults: 4,000 IU (100 mcg) a day from all sources combined. A doctor may recommend more for a short time to treat a deficiency [1].
One 2,000 IU softgel is within the upper limit on its own, but count every source if you also take a multivitamin, calcium with D, or other vitamin D products.
Where vitamin D comes from
- Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Fatty fish and fish liver oils are among the best natural sources [1].
- Most people in the U.S. get it from fortified foods such as milk, many plant-based milks, cereals and some orange juices [1].
- Skin makes vitamin D in sunlight, but clouds, smog, older age and darker skin reduce how much. Sun through a window doesn't count [1].
Who is likely to run low
Older adults, people who get little sun, people with darker skin, people with conditions that limit fat absorption such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease or ulcerative colitis, people with obesity or who have had gastric bypass surgery, and breastfed infants [1].
Medicine interactions
Vitamin D can interact with some medicines, including orlistat, certain statins, steroids such as prednisone, and thiazide diuretics [1]. If you also take calcium, note that calcium can interact with thyroid medicine and some antibiotics [2]. Check with your doctor or pharmacist, and ask whether a blood test makes sense before taking more than the recommended amount.
Vitamin D3 2,000 IU
2,000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) per softgel. Label use: one softgel a day. 100 softgels. Contains soybean oil. Made in the USA.
See special pricing on Vitamin D3 2,000 IU →*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Special pricing: 10% off with code ONF10, applied automatically. Only Nature's Finest may earn from purchases made through this link.
Talk with your doctor first. This guide is general education, not personal medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, take prescription medicine, or have a health condition.