Vitamin D, also known as ‘the sunshine vitamin’, is crucial for our overall health, especially in bone health and skin care. Despite food options like egg yolk, certain yoghurts, tofu, ready-to-eat cereals, and plant-based milk, people choose vitamin D supplements for reasons like limited sunlight exposure, dietary limitations, certain health conditions, and more.

But are you getting the right vitamin D supplement? Is it purely vitamin D, and does it provide enough for your body? You should know how to read a vitamin label to answer these questions.

Read this guide to learn how to read vitamin labels:

How do you read a vitamin label?

The quickest answer is to pay in-depth attention to the supplement facts panel. The panel provides information about the product, such as serving size, servings per container, and names and quantities of dietary ingredients.

Here are the key components of a supplement facts panel:

Serving Size and Ingredient Amount Per Serving

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requires companies to list serving sizes and active ingredients with their measurable amounts on the panel. The serving size refers to the quantity of product you can consume at a time. Amounts can be mentioned in micrograms (mcg), milligrams (mg), or grams (g), along with the optional list of quantities in international units (IU), which measure the potency. Because of the confusion in interpreting different units of measurement used, most health professionals use IU, primarily for vitamins A, D, and E.

Active Ingredients

You can find the list of active ingredients below the ‘Amount per serving’ section. Active ingredients refer to substances that provide the intended benefits of the supplement. 

Daily Values (DV)

This section of the supplement facts panel has two subsections – amount per service and % DV. Developed by the FDA, daily values are based on recommended dietary allowances you need daily and may vary by sex and age.% DV is the percentage of ingredients per serving. 

Some ingredients, such as mushrooms and herbs, do not have a % DV. Instead, they have an asterisk or bullet in the %DV column. This is because only vitamins and minerals can have fixed recommended intakes. Unless otherwise stated, DVs are meant for adults and children ages four and above.

Recommended daily dose of vitamin D

Important note: Consuming too much vitamin D supplementation can lead to side effects, including nausea, appetite and weight loss, constipation, kidney stones, confusion, and weakness. 

So, stick with the recommended dosage or as suggested by your physician or nutritionist according to your needs.

Checking the type of Vitamin D

Two main types of vitamin D are:

  1. Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 
  2. Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol)

Studies have consistently shown that vitamin D3 is twice as effective and potent as vitamin D2 at raising blood levels of vitamin D. So, vitamin D3 helps maintain adequate levels of essential nutrients in our blood. On the other hand, vitamin D2 breaks down quickly and may not be able to sustain vitamin D levels in our blood.

By now, it’s clear you need to look for vitamin D3 unless your physician recommends D2. Next, you need to evaluate the source it comes from.

Evaluate the source of vitamin D

There are two primary sources of vitamin D3:

Other useful information on the label of vitamin D supplements

Suggested use: This section suggests how and when to take it. You can also check with your physician or nutritionist for the same information.

Form of supplements: Are you comfortable with capsules, soft gels, powders, liquids, drops, gummies, or chewables?

Expiry date: This information lets you know how long your vitamin supplement can be used. Avoid expired products or those soon to expire.

Cautions: Carefully read warnings and advice for consumers.

Certifications: Check for third-party certifications, ensuring product quality and efficacy.

Expert advice: Contact a local or online compound pharmacy that can custom formulate vitamins for your unique needs and preferences.

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