How Much Vitamin D Should I Take Per Day?

Vitamin D has recently become one of the most talked about nutrients.

The focus on its immune system implications means it’s become one of the most searched and researched on the web.

Google Trends shows the peak in search interest in Vitamin D occurring as recently as January 2021.

With a lot of competing advice about Vitamin D, and mixed messaging from the UK government, there’s a lot of confusion on this subject.

Rather than add to the noise, we’ll explain how much Vitamin D you need each day and where to get it from.

How Much Vitamin D Should I Take Per Day?

600IU (IU = International Units) of Vitamin D is recommended as the daily reference amount for a normal adult.

However, it’s suggested that you can safely take up to 4000IU per day.

You are unique and your requirements may be different, so check with your doctor or a registered dietitian for customised prescriptions

Food Sources Of Vitamin D

We’ve written extensively about the best food sources of vitamin D in this popular article.

The quick bullet list though is:

• Oily Fish (mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines)
• Eggs
• Red Meat and Liver
• Shiitake Mushrooms

Certainly oily fish are the strongest sources if you want to increase your dietary intake. A single 100g fillet of Mackerel will give you over 1000IU of Vitamin D.

Getting Vitamin D From The Sun

There is of course a FREE way to get vitamin D into your body. From sunlight.

Daily exposure to sunlight is recommended by the NHS.

This has to be direct exposure to the sun, aka not through glass, and uncovered skin. Short periods between 11am and 3pm is recommended.

You do of course have to match your exposure time with the risks of too much exposure.

Unfortunately, there’s no definitive research to recommend a specific time exposure and the daily requirements for your vitamin D intake.

Getting Vitamin D from Supplements

The most convenient way to top up your Vitamin D intake is to supplement.

You’ll commonly see vitamin D supplements marked as Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol).

A normal daily maintenance dose is 1000–2000IU per day through supplementation. But you do need to consider how well equipped your body is to absorb and utilise the vitamin D.

Pairing Vitamin D3 supplements with a high quality Magnesium Citrate supplement will help your body absorb the vitamin D effectively as well as keep your body’s magnesium stores topped up.

Where to Buy Vitamin D Supplements

Whilst its tempting to buy your supplements from Amazon, we’ve often found that the quality is not particularly high.

It’s recommended that you buy from a specialist nutrition company like Lean Greens.

Lean Greens packages it’s vitamin D3 in with Turmeric to help manage the body’s inflammation in concert with the immune system benefits of vitamin D.

Paired with Drift Off, Lean Greens’ premium Magnesium supplement, you’ll be able to optimise your magnesium intake and vitamin D3 intake quickly and easily.

A Quick Disclaimer

Before making any dietary adjustments, no matter the health goal, we strongly recommend you check with your doctor or a registered dietician.

We’re all unique, and your needs may not be the same as anyone else’s.

I hope this article has helped you understand how much Vitamin D you need each day and how best to get it.