Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin
Sunscreen, protective clothing, limited exposure to the sun, dark skin, and age may prevent getting enough vitamin D from the sun. Therefore, sun exposure rarely provides adequate vitamin D, and should be supplemented with diet and/or supplements. Vitamin D is essential to your wellbeing, but many people aren’t getting enough.
There are two main forms of vitamin D:
- Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, which is found in some animal foods like fatty fish and egg yolks.
- Vitamin D2 which is found in some plants, mushrooms, and yeasts. D3 seems to be almost twice as effective at increasing blood levels of vitamin D than D2.
How Vitamin D Works In Your Body
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus. Having the right amount of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus is important for building and keeping strong bones. Vitamin D undergoes two conversion steps to become active in your body. Vitamin D is converted to calcidiol in your liver, which is the storage form of the vitamin.
- It is then converted to calcitriol, mostly in your kidneys, which is the active, steroid-hormone form of vitamin D.
- After being converted to calcitriol, it binds to the vitamin D receptor inside your cells, turning genes on or off.
According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D is important for normal growth and development of bones.
Where Vitamin D Comes From
There are a variety of sources for you to find vitamin D and increase your levels of this nutrient. You can increase your vitamin D levels by taking supplements, getting more sunlight, or increasing the amount of vitamin D in your diet.
The chart below is a list of food sources that provides vitamin D3:
Food |
IU/Serving |
% Daily Value* |
Beef Liver |
42 per 3 ounces |
5% |
Butter |
9 per tablespoon |
1% |
Cereal |
80 per serving |
10% |
Cheese |
12 per ounces |
2% |
Cod Liver Oil |
1,360 per tablespoon |
170% |
Egg Yolks |
44 per yolk |
6% |
Fresh Salmon |
570 per 3 ounces |
71% |
Halibut |
384 per half fillet |
48% |
Mackerel |
360 per half fillet |
48% |
Milk (fortified) |
120 per cup |
15% |
Sardines |
46 per 2 fish |
6% |
Trout |
645 per 3 ounces |
81% |
Tuna |
40 per 3 ounces |
5% |
Almond, oat, or soy milk (fortified) |
100-144 per 1 cup |
13%-18% |
Portabella Mushrooms |
4 per ½ cup |
1% |
*Based on the U.S. FDA’s recommendation of 800 IU per day.
Bio-Innovations vitamin D raw material (this is the starting powder) is sourced through a reputable supplier and derived from lanolin, or sheep's wool. Before production, Bio-Innovations tests every batch of vitamin D received for identity, potency, and purity before it is cleared for production. Following production, the finished capsules are tested once again for vitamin D identification and potency.
We strive daily to ensure that only the best product is delivered to your doorstep. With the extreme importance of vitamin D to practically every aspect of health, you can afford nothing less!
Research suggests that vitamin D is essential to your body and provides many additional benefits, but more studies are still needed. Vitamin D3 supplements seem to be more effective at raising vitamin D levels than D2 supplements.
It is always recommended to consult a healthcare provider before starting a supplement regimen.