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Why Diet Fails Us With Vitamin D Intake + How A Supplement Can Help

Author:

Morgan Chamberlain

November 14, 2023

Former mbg Supplement Editor

By Morgan Chamberlain

Former mbg Supplement Editor

Morgan Chamberlain is mindbodygreen's former supplement editor. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism and a minor in nutrition.

Image by Elena Medoks / iStock

November 14, 2023

We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

At mindbodygreen, we believe a balanced diet is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. And while we can get many of the essential vitamins and minerals we need on a daily basis from our diet, most of us don't, hence the widespread nutrient gaps in our nation. There's one area where the "food-first" mentality tends to fail us: vitamin D.

The problem with relying on diet alone

vitamin D3 potency+

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"Diet fails us for this nutrient," Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, mbg's vice president of scientific affairs says in a TikTok video. "It would take 50 glasses of milk a day to get 5,000 IU of vitamin D3. Or, how about nine servings of salmon? That's silly, right?"

And if you're wondering if you can simply get enough of the "sunshine vitamin" by spending time outside on a sunny summer day, think again: "Sunshine, unfortunately, is equally variable," Ferira says. "And also risky."

The thing is, a lot of U.S. adults are vitamin D deficient or insufficient (29% and 41%1, to be exact). And if they think food and sunshine alone are enough to move the needle on their vitamin D status, they may be in for a rude awakening when they get their test results back.

How vitamin D supplements can help

The most effective way to ensure you're getting the vitamin D your body needs on a daily basis is by taking a high-quality, effective vitamin D3 supplement.

Here's what you should look for when choosing a vitamin D supplement:

D3 (instead of D2, which has inferior bioavailability)
Built-in fat for optimal absorption (or, you can take your vitamin D with a meal to ensure the fat-soluble vitamin can be properly absorbed)
5,000 IU per daily serving (and possibly more, if you're insufficient or deficient in vitamin D or have specific body composition considerations)

"Pharmacokinetic research demonstrates that 5,000 IU of D3 daily will help you get to 50 ng/ml (i.e., the truly optimal vitamin D status)," Ferira shares. "Is your supplement 1,000 IU or 2,000 IU of vitamin D? Unfortunately, that's not going to cut it."

Luckily, mbg's vitamin D3 potency+ includes all of these stellar features to ensure you reach (and maintain) healthy vitamin D levels to benefit your whole-body health and well-being.*

The takeaway

To reap all the incredible health benefits that come with vitamin D sufficiency, a high-quality vitamin D supplement is just what you need.

mbg's vitamin D3 potency+ delivers 5,000 IU of algae-sourced organic vitamin D3, plus an organic trio of avocado, flax, and olive oils to enhance absorption and bioavailability (not to mention the added benefits of the healthy omega-3 and omega-9 fats). With science-backed dosage, enhanced bioavailability, and sustainable sourcing, our premium D3 formula is highly unique and your daily tool for lifelong vitamin D sufficiency.*

So, what's it gonna be—a quality daily supplement or 50 glasses of milk? The choice is yours!

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.