Most people need more vitamin D because the deficiency and insufficiency rates of this vital micronutrient are rising, and experts across the world are calling for changes to the recommended dosage and suggesting that a majority of us are not getting enough. Vitamin D is vital to healthy bones, strong immune system functions and mental/emotional wellness. Sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D, but our production capacity is limited especially in winter months when sun exposure is reduced and also because of unhealthy lifestyle and excess weight. The current recommended dose for vitamin D is between 200 IU and 600 IU for the average person based on age, weight and health status. But most experts now recommend that healthy individuals take in up to 1,000 IU on top of what they might get through diet and multivitamins. Those in Northern climates or with greater needs may need even more. The true safe limit for supplementation is proven to be 10 000 IU per day and clinically-tested deficiency is best treated with a higher dosage.

In addition to the main route of synthesis of vitamin D (sun exposure) one can increase his/her blood levels by eating certain animal foods like fish and eggs and fortified dairy products. Supplementation is an easy and effective way to increase blood levels since the amount of vitamin D in food is limited.

The preferred form of supplementation is vitamin D3 (the animal form) compared to vitamin D2 (the plant form) because a lower dosage of vitamin D3 is required for increasing blood levels of vitamin D. It is also best taken with a meal containing at least 10 grams of fat as this increases its absorption significantly compared to low fat meals. There have been several experiments testing the efficacy of different vitamin D formulations in order to identify whether taking capsules, chewable tablets or liquid drops are best for increasing serum vitamin D levels. All three forms are satisfactory for increasing blood vitamin D levels after supplementation but the form of emulsified oil drop has been proven to be the most effective and reliable based on the amount of vitamin D3 it provides. So users can choose the form they prefer with a slightly better effectiveness of the liquid supplement.