Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that is necessary to regulate calcium and phosphorus in bones and impacts many organ systems including the endocrine system and immune system (1).

Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels Benefits

• Promotes a healthy immune system (ref)* and regulates immune system responses (ref)*
• May increase cognitive function (ref)*
• Vitamin D3 has been shown to raise the levels of Vitamin D in the blood faster than D2 (ref)*

Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels Mode of Action

Vitamin D comes in two supplemental forms, D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol). D2 is found mostly in plants, such as mushrooms, and D3 is found in animals and produced in human skin when exposed to sunlight (2).

Vitamin D is commonly fortified (added) in foods such as fortified milk, orange juice, and cereals
(3) but is also present in fatty fish (2).  Human skin produces D3 when exposed to sunlight but the factors that are involved in the synthesis of Vitamin D through sunlight alone are so variable that most of the population has an insufficient level of Vitamin D—over 1 billion people worldwide are deficient (4).

Skin exposed to direct sunlight begins to make Vitamin D but the amount and efficiency of attaining Vitamin D through this method depends on where you live geographically on earth, what time of day it is, what time of year it is, how much skin is exposed, how old you are, the altitude, if there are clouds, air pollution, sunscreen use, being behind glass—and also if you are dark or light skinned.  Your skin type affects how much UVB light is absorbed, and therefore how much Vitamin D is produced. It could take up to six times longer to absorb adequate UVB sunlight to produce your body’s needs for Vitamin D if you are darker skinned (3).

Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels Dosage

Vitamin D3 levels must be obtained through a blood test that measures [25(OH)D] in order to determine if there is insufficiency or deficiency.  It is recommended that you work with your healthcare practitioner to determine how much supplementation you will need.  After beginning a supplementation regimen, it is essential to re-test every 3-6 months to ensure blood levels of Vitamin D are within a safe, healthy and therapeutic range (3).

Depending on what country you live in, Vitamin D levels may be reported in ng/ml format, or in nmol/L format.  These are not interchangeable.

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for Vitamin D for adults is 600 IU/day and 800 IU/day for seniors (3).  The RDA is determined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for the U.S. and Canada.  An article published in 2014 pointed out a miscalculation made by the IOM regarding their RDA for Vitamin D.  Please note that the values in this article are in the nmol/L format.  The miscalculation indicated a daily allowance that was too low to provide adequate levels of Vitamin D.  You can read the article online by Veugelers, Paul J and John Paul Ekwaru: “A statistical error in the estimation of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D” Nutrients vol. 6,10 4472-5. 20 Oct. 2014, doi:10.3390/nu6104472.

Dosages may vary and your doctor may even prescribe what is called a bolus dose, or megadose that you might take on a once-weekly basis.  Some people may not absorb Vitamin D well through oral supplementation (3).  Dosages vary depending on your resource and Pure Nootropics recommends that you work with a healthcare practitioner to determine a regimen that best suits your needs.  Please consult with your healthcare practitioner on the other cofactor vitamins and minerals that may be taken for the best absorption of Vitamin D3.

It is possible to consume too much Vitamin D through supplements, so careful monitoring is needed with this supplement.  There is much debate on how much Vitamin D is necessary to gain the benefits it has to offer.  Your healthcare practitioner will advise you on the best amount to take (3).

Pure Nootropics’ Vitamin D3 Softgels deliver 5,000 IU Vitamin D3 per 1 capsule and are best suited for individuals who have been advised on supplementation with this amount of D3.  Suggested use for adults is 1 capsule by mouth once daily, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.*

Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels Side Effects and Toxicity

Vitamin D is considered likely safe when taken in recommended and supervised amounts.  Some side effects may occur including weakness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and others (5).

Vitamin D in large doses of more than 10,000-40,000 IU/day for more than a few months can cause toxicity (3).

Note:  The following are pharmaceutical medications that may interact with Vitamin D.  If you are on any medications, please consult with your healthcare practitioner prior to beginning supplementing with Vitamin D3.  Moderate interactions may occur with:  Aluminum (antacids), Calcipotriene (Devonex), Digoxin (Lanoxin), Diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan), Water pills (Thiazide diuretics).  Minor interactions may occur with Cimetidine (Tagamet), Heparin, and low molecular weight heparins (LMWHS)(5).

For further information, please see our References Tab above.