Are you getting enough D? (Ummm, we mean vitamin D.) Well you better check because you need it for calcium and phosphorus absorption, bone health, and muscle growth and development.
Your bod makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (and you can get it from some foods), but sometimes you still might not get enough.
In fact, about 1 billion people worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency. And about 50 percent of the population has an insufficiency (meaning they don’t have a full deficiency, but they’re definitely not getting enough vitamin D).
If you need more vitamin D in your life, you can take an over-the-counter supplement. Not sure which one to choose? We got you — here’s a list of the best vitamin D supplements to take when the sun just ain’t cutting it.
Knowing that this is something you’re going to be putting in your bod, we held our picks to high standards. Here are the criteria we used:
Quality
We put all the products through a rigorous medical and business vetting process. This process checks whether companies are doing anything shady (like saying its products cure certain diseases), whether their products use evidence-based ingredients, and whether they’ve received any FDA/FTC warning letters.
We included products only from companies that passed this process and have strict standards for quality and purity.
Nutrient bioavailability
There are actually two forms of vitamin D — D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). The only difference is in the chemical side chains, but both are well absorbed in your gut.
Supplements can be made with either D2 or D3, but most research shows that vitamin D3 increases the level of vitamin D in your blood to a greater extent and for longer than D2 does. For that reason, we only included vitamin D3 supplements.
Pricing guide
- $ = under $15
- $$ = $15–$20
- $$$ = over $20
Best vitamin D and multivitamin combo
Ritual Essential Multivitamin Capsule — 60 count
- Price: $$$
- Supplement type: capsule
Instead of being jam-packed with every vitamin and mineral under the sun, this multivitamin was developed to fill nutrient gaps according to your sex and age. The company’s motto is “less is more” — so you aren’t getting unnecessary nutrients that you’re likely getting plenty of from the food you eat.
Considerations: Before taking any supplement, it’s important to check with a healthcare professional. If they’ve given you a thumbs-up on a vitamin D supplement, but you want to go with a multivitamin combo, get another thumbs-up for the rest of the vitamins included in this all-in-one option.
How to take it: Take 2 capsules per day to get 2,000 IU (50 micrograms [mcg]) of vitamin D.
Best subscription service vitamin D
Care/Of Vitamin D Capsule — 30-day supply
- Price: $–$$$ (varies)
- Supplement type: capsule
Take a quick quiz and you have all your nutrient needs personalized based on your answers. Care/Of offers two vitamin D options: vegan D3 — which is sourced from algae — and a regular D3 (1,000 IU, or 25 mcg).
Considerations: As fun as it is to rip open a personalized vitamin pouch with your name on it, this kind of service might end up costing you more money than taking a vitamin D supp on its own.
How to take it: Take 1 capsule per day with a meal to get 1,000 IU (25 mcg) of vitamin D.
