Now you know the need for vitamin D, let us try to help you demystify the vast number of options out there, so you can decide which is best for you and your health. (The Independent)
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Exercise and eating a healthy balanced diet are essential to helping your body get all the nutrients it needs to stay well. But there’s one vitamin, try as you might by eating well, that you will need to supplement in autumn and winter: vitamin D. You can blame it on the weather.
Dr Sam Oliver, a reader in sport and exercise science at Bangor University, says: “From October through to March due to insufficient sunlight, a low-dose daily oral vitamin D3 supplement might be needed to maintain vitamin D sufficiency.”
The sunshine vitamin, so-called because we get most of it from the sun’s rays, is essential for maintaining musculoskeletal health by supporting our bones, teeth and muscles. Research has also linked it to boosting the immune system, and Dr Oliver and his colleagues made another significant discovery last year.
“More recently, a greater understanding of vitamin D’s role within the immune system means that maintaining vitamin D sufficiency may also be important to prevent and cope with respiratory infections,” he says. “For example, our recent research indicates winter vitamin D supplementation reduces the duration and severity of the common cold.”
Now you know the need for vitamin D, let us try to help you demystify the vast number of options out there, so you can decide which is best for you and your health.
We’ve scoured the market and selected the supplements we’d be happy to take ourselves, after listening to the expert’s advice. We’ve included a range of products with several methods of consumption, noting how easy they were to take, and a number of different strengths. Please note that doses of more than 1,000IU are rarely needed unless you have a condition or lifestyle that requires higher potency vitamin D (please speak to your clinician before starting a high-potency supplement).
The best vitamin D supplements for 2024 are:
Best vitamin D supplement overall – Nutrition Geeks vitamin D3 1,000IU: £6.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best budget vitamin D supplement – Myvitamins vitamin D3 softgels, 1,000IU: £1.87, Myprotein.com
Best vitamin D supplement for vegans – Nature’s Own vegan D3 2,500IU: £10.24, Amazon.co.uk
Best vitamin D gummies – Myvitamins vitamin D gummies, 1,000IU: £7.99, Myprotein.com
Best vitamin D supplement for children – Boots vitamin D, 30 gummies: £4.08, Boots.com
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They say good things come in small packages, and this supplement proves that. Inside this compact, letterbox-friendly foil bag – which uses less plastic than conventional pill bottles – are 180 tiny tablets measuring 6mm, each delivering a high-quality 1,000IU vitamin D hit. They are incredibly easy to swallow and leave no aftertaste, so they are perfect for anyone who struggles to take pills without gagging. Perhaps best of all, though, is the price: this bag for less than £4 is equivalent to a six-month supply of vitamin D and will easily get you through autumn and winter.
Gel capsule supplements tend to be among the easiest to swallow but they often contain gelatine, meaning they are not suitable for vegans. But not these Myvitamins vitamin D3 softgels. Each capsule of this high-strength supplement is easy to swallow and made using lichen algae, helping you to get your daily vitamin D needs while on a plant-based diet.
The one-a-day dosage means a 180-capsule bottle provides almost six months’ worth of vitamin D and the pocket-friendly price means that they’re excellent value for money. We also like that the pot is made from recycled materials and is fully recyclable again when it’s empty.
Many supplements contain milk, come in gelatine capsules or have been tested on animals, so we wanted to include something that is suitable for vegans. The Nature’s Own vitamin D3 is cruelty-free and takes the nutrient from lichen extract. Our tester found the one-a-day tablets easy to swallow and liked that they are free from GMO, gluten and yeast. There are 60 pills in each bottle, giving you a two-month supply.
This vitamin D supplement being bright orange is highly appropriate because each one-a-day gummy delivers 500 per cent of your recommended daily dose of the sunshine vitamin whatever the weather. Gummies are a delicious way to take supplements, and it could help make the habit of taking them regularly easier to form because you’re likely to look forward to their yummy taste – just like our tester did.
The Myvitamins vitamin D gummies are also suitable for vegetarians and the packaging is recyclable. However, like many gummy supplements, they do contain sugar, which is something to be aware of if you’re keeping an eye on your intake.
Dietary needs: Free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives, lactose free
Why we love it
Kid-friendly gummies
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The NHS recommends that all children under five years of age take a daily vitamin D supplement throughout the year. But getting your child to take capsules is another matter entirely. That is unless you can give it to them in sweet form – these gummies will undoubtedly do the trick. One of these chewy orange flavoured bears a day provides little ones with the recommended 10 micrograms of vitamin D, plus they’ll look forward to taking them – our young tester tells us that they are yummy.
Taking a daily supplement can generate a lot of plastic waste over the years, but Dr Vegan has a solution to help limit your impact on the planet. These plant-based vitamins come in plastic-free, compostable packaging and can be stored in your special refillable Dr Vegan pill tin to keep them fresh. The daily supplement itself is vegan, easy to swallow, halal, and gluten, dairy and lactose-free, making them suitable for pretty much everyone.
This is a high dose vitamin D, with 2,500IU per pill, so please do check with your clinician that it is suitable for you. It is already a reasonable option, but there is an offer that means you can buy three packets and only pay for two, while a subscription service saves you 15 per cent.
People with certain conditions, multiple sclerosis, for example, may need to take significantly higher than usual doses of vitamin D all year round. This supplement is ideal for those people. It contains 3,000IU of vitamin D3 that is delivered daily with three sprays under the tongue at any time of day – a bottle contains 35 servings. Our tester found it easy to use and store, and liked that a subscription service is available, so you never run out and save £3 each month. We would recommend speaking with your GP before starting this supplement though, because of its high potency.
While currently out of stock you can leave your email to ensure you’re the first to be notified when it’s back.
“Vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone problems, such as rickets in children and bone pain and muscle weakness in adults, which may increase the risks of falls and fractures in the elderly, as well as increased susceptibility to infection,” explains Dr Sam Oliver, a reader in sport and exercise science at Bangor University.
What foods are rich in vitamin D?
If you’re looking to increase your intake of vitamin D through food, Dr Oliver recommends oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, mushrooms and fortified foods, including breakfast cereals.
When do I need to supplement my diet?
Given the insufficient sunlight, Dr Oliver notes that it’s best to do so from October through to March. In the UK, from April through to September most people can obtain the vitamin D they need from the skin (endogenous) synthesis via short daily exposures to sunlight, i.e., about 15 minutes of midday sun exposure in shorts and a T-shirt.
How much should I take?
A daily oral 10 micrograms (400IU) vitamin D3 supplement during autumn and winter.
Are there other vitamins that can be taken with vitamin D to support absorption?
We’ve heard in conversation sometimes that orange juice (vitamin C) might be helpful; however, the only randomised controlled trial we’re aware of showed no difference between vitamin D bioavailability when consumed with orange juice compared to capsules.
The verdict: Vitamin D supplements
Convenience, quality and value for money make the Nutrition Geeks vitamin D3 1,000IU our best buy. They are extremely easy to take, generate less plastic waste than conventional pill bottles and carry a price tag that is accessible for most people.
We’d also recommend Aguulp for immunity if you’re looking to combine multiple vitamins and minerals in one easy-to-take supplement, and the Dr Vegan vitamin D3 for its eco-friendly credentials.
