Best Absorb Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D is a nutrient needed to regulate calcium and phosphorous. The body produces vitamin D through a chemical reaction after 5 to 30 minutes of direct exposure to sunlight. People in northern locales and people who stay indoors are at risk of a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to conditions like rickets and osteoporosis. Vitamin D also boosts the immune system and is known to prevent cancer and autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D is found in a few foods, but supplements may be needed in certain cases to boost vitamin D levels. However it is always important to try to get the vitamin D you need through food and sun exposure before beginning to take supplements.

Steps

Determining How Much Vitamin D You Need

  1. Make an appointment with your doctor if you think you may have a vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. The doctor will administer a 25 hydroxy-vitamin D blood test.
    • This test is a good idea for anyone who is homebound, has dark skin or is at risk for osteoporosis. Lighter skin produces more vitamin D after extended exposure to sunlight. Darker skinned people need 5 to 10 times more sunlight to produce healthy vitamin D levels.
    • For adults, the recommended daily value of vitamin D is 600 International Units (IU) or 15 micrograms (mcg). It is likely that a doctor will recommend between 400 and 1,000 IU per day to supplement your diet for a short period of time.
  2. Be aware of certain medical conditions that may predispose you to needing more vitamin D. Being deficient in vitamin D is actually a pretty common occurrence. Generally, you just need to spend a bit more time in the sun or eat more vitamin D-rich foods. However, some medicals conditions can affect how your body absorbs vitamin D, which means that you might need to take supplements to keep your vitamin D levels normal. These conditions include:
    • Cystic fibrosis
    • Crohn’s disease
    • Kidney disease
    • Celiac disease
  3. Try to supplement your vitamin D through food, if possible. It is important to keep in mind that supplements are just that—they supplement your diet if you cannot get enough of the nutrient by eating vitamin D-rich food. Before you begin taking vitamin D supplements, try altering your diet a little to increase your vitamin D intake naturally, rather than through supplementation.
    • A cup (237 ml) of fortified milk provides about 30 percent of your daily value.
    • 3 oz. (85 g) of salmon or mackerel provides about 100 percent of the daily value.
    • 3 oz. (85 g) of canned tuna provides about 40 percent.
    • Eggs, liver and fortified cereals can provide about 10 percent of your daily value.
  4. Buy vitamin D fortified products. As mentioned in the previous step, it is advisable to try to alter your diet before you begin thinking about taking supplements. One of the more efficient ways to get the vitamin D you need is by consuming vitamin D fortified foods and beverages.
    • The most commonly fortified product is milk. Look at your carton of milk to make sure that it is enriched with vitamin D before you buy it.
    • Other foods that are commonly fortified with vitamin D include cereals, orange juice, and some yogurts.
  5. Make sure to spend time out in the sun to get adequate amount of vitamin D. Your body is able to absorb vitamin D when you spend time out in the sun, exposed to UV rays. In fact, many people meet their vitamin D needs simply by living in places that are sunny.
    • However, it is important to keep in mind that UVB radiation cannot go through glass, so if you sit in the sun while inside, your body will not be absorbing any vitamin D. For this reason, try to spend at least 5 to 30 minutes outside in the sun without any sunscreen on. After this time, you should put sunscreen on to protect yourself from skin cancer.
  6. Do not take too much vitamin D, as taking too much vitamin D can be toxic. If you take too much vitamin D each day, you could actually cause the calcium levels in your blood to skyrocket. However, it is important to keep in mind that vitamin D overdoses are rarely caused by staying in the sun too long or eating too much vitamin D-rich foods; most overdoses come taking too many vitamin D supplements. Signs that you are taking too much vitamin D include:
    • Being very constipated.
    • Experiencing nausea.
    • Feeling confused.
    • Developing kidney stones.
    • Developing an abnormal heartbeat.
  7. Check that you are not at risk for kidney disease or hardening of the arteries. Vitamin D supplement absorption can potentially also be dangerous for people with lymphoma, sarcoidosis or histoplasmosis.

Helping Your Body Absorb Your Supplement

  1. Choose the correct vitamin D supplement. The most common kinds are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). D3 is recommended most often because it is the naturally occurring version of vitamin D in your body.
    • Other possible names for vitamin D supplements include: Alfacalcidol, Calcifediol, Calcipotriene, Calcipotriol, Calcitriol, Colecalciferol, Dihydrotachysterol, and Paricalcitol.
  2. Take your vitamin D supplement with the largest meal of the day. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, which means that you need to have eaten a little bit of fat in order for the nutrient to be absorbed efficiently by your body. Fat-soluble nutrients (the other ones are A, E and K) take a long time to be absorbed and eliminated by your body because they are stored in your fatty tissues and liver.
    • Always take your vitamin D supplements with or right after you have eaten a meal. The food in your system will help your body to process this nutrient.
    • It doesn’t seem to matter what meal you take your supplement with. The time of day does not appear to affect your body’s ability to absorb vitamin D.
  3. Examine your medications before taking vitamin D supplements. Certain medications interact with the absorption of vitamin D supplements and prevent healthy absorption. These medications include:
    • Antacids, Lipitor, Dovonex, Lanoxin, Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP 3A4) substrates, Verapamil and water pills.
  4. Consider increasing your intake of other nutrients that are cofactors of vitamin D. Cofactors are nutrients that work together to help the body absorb as much of the nutrients as possible. For example, magnesium is known to be a co-factor of vitamin D. This means that eating foods that are rich in magnesium, or taking magnesium supplements, may help your body to absorb vitamin D more efficiently. Other nutrients that are thought to help your body absorb vitamin D include:
    • Boron. Foods that are rich in boron include almonds, apples, hazelnuts, dates, and avocados.
    • Vitamin K. Foods that are rich in vitamin K include basil, kale, spinach, scallions, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus.
    • Zinc. Foods that are rich in zinc include oysters, crab, beef chuck, fortified breakfast cereal, lobsters and baked beans.
    • Vitamin A. Foods that are rich in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, butternut squash, dried apricots, and romaine lettuce.
  5. Lose some weight. People who are overweight tend to have low levels of vitamin D. This is because the fat cells in their body extract the vitamin D from their blood (vitamin D is fat-soluble after all) and thus vitamin D is kept from the circulation through their bodies. If you are obese, losing some weight may help you to better absorb vitamin D and increase your vitamin D levels. To lose weight:
  6. Work with your doctor to try to treat underlying medical conditions that could be affecting your body’s ability to absorb vitamin D. As mentioned in the previous section, there are some medical conditions that can affect how your body activates vitamin D. In particular, weak kidneys can limit your body’s ability to activate the vitamin D that you consume (either through sun, food, or supplement). Talk to your doctor about options for treatment.

Tips

  • Your body stores vitamin D from sunlight extremely well. If you get casual exposure to sunlight for at least 15 minutes 6 days in a row, this can provide your body with enough vitamin D for 49 sunlight-free days.
  • Elderly people and infants have the highest risk of a vitamin D deficiency. Both groups avoid sunlight exposure, and as you get older your skin creates less vitamin D in sunlight. However, elderly people are at a high risk for osteoporosis and should talk to their doctor to see if they need a vitamin D supplement.
  • Always consult your doctor before beginning a supplement regimen. The dose should be tailored to your body's need.

Warnings

  • People who take vitamin D supplements run the risk of vitamin D toxicity which can cause an unsafe level of calcium in the blood. It is not recommended that you take more than 4,000 units of vitamin D per day for an extended period of time, and your required dosage may be much less.
  • Direct exposure to sunlight for long periods of time can cause skin cancer. Some experts recommend that you put on sunscreen after being out in direct sun for 5 to 10 minutes, in order to produce vitamin D and protect yourself from harmful rays.
  • Beware if you are taking fish oils, like cod liver oil. Although these contain up to 300 percent of your daily value of vitamin D, they also contain vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is rare, found mostly in developing countries. Excessive doses of vitamin A can cause liver damage or fractures.

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Sources and Citations

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