How To Get The Vitamin D You Need: The Truth About Sunlight & Supplements

Now, if meeting that optimal vitamin D intake means eating 18 ounces of trout each day (i.e., six servings of this fish) and relying on the sun is a bit of a crapshoot, what options does that leave you with if you want to ensure you’re getting enough of the sunshine vitamin (every day for decades) to feel your best? Well…supplements.*

Here’s what to look for: First, go for vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which, as Gallo explains, is the form our skin produces from sun exposure. It’s also been shown to be the the most effective at raising and maintaining our 25(OH)D levels (your status biomarker). Next, look for a high-potency option that provides at least 5,000 IU so that you’re getting enough to hit 50 ng/ml+ goal for 25(OH)D. Folks with more fat tissue (i.e., overweight or obese), will require two to three times more vitamin D to achieve the same serum status, according to science and clinical consensus.

Ideally, Crouch recommends looking for a vitamin D3 product that comes in a formula that combines it with a healthy fat. This way, you can take the supplement with or without a meal. (Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it needs some fat in order to be absorbed properly.)* In fact, mindbodygreen specially formulated our vitamin D3 potency+ product to check all of these important boxes, and then some. Otherwise, you’ll want to make sure to take your vitamin D supplement with a snack or meal that contains a source of fat.