Vitamins have been proved in many studies and research papers to be essential to humans. There are many vitamins needed by the human body to function well. We may have heard a lot of vitamin A, B and C available in a variety of health products. Vitamin D on the other hand probably may not be familiar as the three vitamins mentioned just now. Luckily, we are seeing more products being fortified with vitamin D for all walks of ages to receive enough vitamin D. In this article, we will be focusing on vitamin D, specifically vitamin D3 and its dosage for adults.
First thing first, what is actually vitamin D3 and how does it differ from other vitamins? Vitamin D3 actually is part of the vitamin D. Vitamin D in general is divided into two types, which are vitamin D2 and D3. Vitamin D2 is vitamins gained from plants such as mushrooms while vitamin D3 is gained from animals such as salmon. Vitamin D3 is also able to be produced by the human itself through chemical reaction when the skin is exposed to the sunray. Vitamin D3 is most preferred if you are planning to have supplements of vitamin D. Why? This is because the supplement’s vitamin D3 is much compatible with the human’s own body producing a similar type of vitamin. Hence, the body is easier to increase the level of vitamin D in the blood. Vitamin D3 plays a big role in improving bone health.
Intake of daily vitamin D3 is recommended at values of 600 to 800 IU. According to the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for Malaysians, daily intake of 600 IU per day is recommended. In the United States, the recommended value of 1500 to 2000 IU per day for an average healthy adult is recommended. I understand, these numbers can be confusing. Thus, the best way is to take vitamin D3 below the maximum values of 4000 IU. Side effects of overdosing or excessive intake of vitamin D3 above the level can easily lead to toxicity to the vital organs such as the heart and kidney.
The above values are recommendations of vitamin D3 per day which already includes meals and possibly supplements too. Before taking supplements, you may want to make sure your daily meal itself does not add up too much vitamin D3 on top of the supplements you are planning for. It is important to take the supplements as instructed on the product’s label or as advised by physicians. Generally, most supplements may instruct you to take one capsule or tablet per day but this can greatly differ to one and another manufacturer. Again, carefully read the label or ask pharmacists before purchasing one. Those with other medical conditions and taking other medications should discuss with their healthcare providers before taking vitamin D3 supplements or even any kind of supplements.
How to make sure you are not taking too much of a meal containing vitamin D? You should look out for food containing high amounts of vitamin D like dairy milk, fish like cod, salmon or tuna, and poultry or eggs. If you are already a healthy individual getting enough vitamin D from meals alone, you may not need to get vitamin D3 supplements. Reasons being are more such vitamins does not directly translate to better. Vitamin D3 supplements are recommended for elderly, post-menopausal women, people with chronic kidney disease, those on long-term steroids and those with parathyroid diseases. These groups of people are susceptible to be deficiency or low in vitamin D blood level which when goes untreated can cause multitude of problems to the bones.