Vitamin D3 is the same form of vitamin D that we receive naturally from the sun.
While studies show that 50mcg - 250mcg (2,000IU - 10,000 IU) of vitamin D per day may be needed for optimal health, most Americans get less than 10mcg (400 IU). Vitamin D supports: healthy brain function, immune and cardiovascular systems, healthy blood sugar levels, prostate and breast tissue health, and regarding bone health, it helps the body absorb calcium and deposit it into the bones. In fact, new studies show more receptor sites in our cells for Vitamin D than for any other nutrient.
Vitamin D is so important for good health that nature gave us a way to make it. We produce it when the sun’s rays react with cholesterol. However, fearing skin cancer, most Americans now use sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D production. Aging also reduces our ability to make vitamin D.
Because vitamin D is also sparse in the diet, most of us get less than research shows we need. Vitamin D is involved in so many bodily functions that its deficiency may increase the risks for health challenges Americans most frequently encounter.
How Much Vitamin D Does One Need?
Decades ago, the National Academy of Sciences set 400 IU of vitamin D as the “Daily Value” because this is what we need to prevent rickets. It had not yet been discovered that vitamin D is involved in other aspects of health. Studies at America’s most prestigious medical schools suggest that optimal health requires 2000 IU to 5000 IU of vitamin D per day. They have also learned that up to 10,000 IU is safe. Therapeutic dosing is used by practitioners with up to 50,000 IU for certain conditions.
How Can One Get Enough Vitamin D?
To get 5000 IU of vitamin D from food, you would need six servings of salmon or 20 glasses of vitamin D fortified milk. You can get plenty of Vitamin D by exposing the skin directly to the sun midday, if you live in the correct latitudes, have enough of your skin exposed, do not wash the skin immediately before or after, and are willing to risk skin cancer or premature aging. Optimal vitamin D levels require supplementation.
Vitamin-D 5000 IU is made for those who want the general health protection provided by vitamin D. Vitamin-D 5000 IU is offered for those who would like an adequate maintenance level of Vitamin D or who do not get at least 30 minutes of unblocked sun exposure each day. (Glass windows inhibit ultaviolet radiation.)
