Vitamin guide
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is unusual because we obtain it from foods and supplements, but the body can also make it in the skin after suitable UVB exposure. Supplements are simple to buy; choosing a sensible one starts with understanding the form, dose and what you actually want from it.
Compare products ↓What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that also acts like a hormone in the body. It is found naturally in relatively few foods, while the skin can make vitamin D when it is exposed to sufficient UVB sunlight. Supplements usually provide vitamin D2 or vitamin D3.
What does vitamin D support?
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, normal muscle function and normal immune-system function. It also helps the body absorb and use calcium and phosphorus, making it important for normal calcium levels in the blood.
What happens if you don’t get enough vitamin D?
Vitamin D deficiency can affect the way bones are mineralised. In children, severe deficiency can cause rickets, in which bones become soft and weak. In adolescents and adults, deficiency can cause osteomalacia, which can lead to bone pain and muscle weakness. Mild or early deficiency may not cause obvious symptoms, so symptoms alone cannot tell you whether your vitamin D level is low.
Vitamin D status is usually assessed with a blood test measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Different organisations and laboratories may use different thresholds, so IngredientScope does not turn a single cut-off into a universal self-diagnosis rule. If deficiency is suspected, the result should be interpreted in the appropriate clinical context.
What about immunity?
Immune function is one of vitamin D’s authorised EU benefit areas. That makes it relevant to consumers looking at vitamin D for everyday immune support. Research has also tested whether supplementation prevents acute respiratory infections, but the most recent large meta-analysis did not find a statistically significant overall reduction in infection risk. The strongest wording for a supplement guide therefore remains the established claim that vitamin D contributes to normal immune-system function.
Sunlight, food or a supplement?
Sunlight can contribute substantially to vitamin D status, but UVB exposure varies with latitude, season, time outdoors, clothing, skin characteristics and behaviour. Food sources and fortified foods also contribute. A supplement can therefore be a practical way to provide a predictable amount when dietary and sunlight sources are limited.
Do I need a vitamin D supplement?
There is no single answer that fits every country and every person. National recommendations differ, and individual need can depend on age, diet, sun exposure and other circumstances. IngredientScope therefore separates EU health claims from country-specific intake advice. If you are choosing a routine supplement, compare the daily amount with the guidance that applies where you live rather than assuming the highest-dose product is best.
The EU label NRV for vitamin D is 5 µg. EFSA’s adequate intake (AI) for healthy people over 1 year is 15 µg/day, assuming minimal vitamin D synthesis from sun exposure. The AI is a population dietary reference, not a recommendation to take 15 µg as a supplement.
Vitamin D2 vs D3
Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) are both vitamin D forms used in foods and supplements. EFSA treats both as vitamin D forms in its safety assessment. Product choice does not need to become a contest over marketing language: check which form is used, the actual daily dose and whether the format suits you.
Standard or high-strength vitamin D?
Vitamin D products range from everyday low-dose options to much stronger formulations. A useful choice starts with the daily microgram amount, the guidance relevant to your situation and whether you want a simple maintenance-style product or a higher-strength option used for a specific reason.
EFSA’s adult tolerable upper intake level is 100 µg/day (4,000 IU) from total intake. This is a safety ceiling rather than a target, so compare higher-strength products by purpose and daily amount rather than assuming the largest dose is the best value.
What should you compare?
Check the daily dose
Look at the amount supplied by the recommended daily serving, not only the number printed most prominently on the pack.
Know whether it is D2 or D3
Both are vitamin D forms. D3 is common in supplements; vegan products may use D2 or vegan-sourced D3.
Choose a format you will actually use
Drops, capsules, tablets and sprays can all be practical. Convenience and consistent use may matter more than elaborate formulation claims.
Be cautious with very high doses
A high-dose product is not automatically a better everyday product. Long-term intake should stay within appropriate guidance unless a healthcare professional has advised otherwise.
Check the vitamin D source
D3 may come from lanolin or vegan sources such as lichen. If source or vegan suitability matters to you, check those details rather than assuming all D3 products are equivalent.
Product comparison
Compare vitamin D supplements
Compare vitamin D per day, recommended serving, source, product format and vegan suitability.
Default order: adult products by labelled daily amount from lowest to highest; equal amounts alphabetically. Children's products are shown separately at the end. The order is not a ranking.
| Product | Vitamin D / day | Recommended daily serving | Source | Product format | Vegan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solgar Vitamin D3 400 IUView product ↗ | 10 µg | 1 softgel | Fish liver oil | Softgel | No |
| BetterYou Vitamin D1000 Oral SprayView product ↗ | 25 µg | 1 spray | Lanolin (sheep wool) | Oral spray | No |
| Viridian Vitamin D3 1000 IUView product ↗ | 25 µg | 1 capsule | Lichen | Capsule | Yes |
| Doctor's Best Vegan D3 with VitashineProduct link unavailable | 62.5 µg | 1 capsule | Plant sourced (Vitashine D3) | Capsule | Yes |
| Solgar Vitamin D3 4000 IUView product ↗ | 100 µgEquals the EFSA adult Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) from all sources | 1 vegetable capsule | Lanolin (sheep wool) | Vegetable capsule | No |
| Children’s products | |||||
| BetterYou D400 Junior Oral SprayView product ↗ | 10 µg | 1 spray | Lanolin (sheep wool) | Oral spray | No |
Vegan note: A vegetable capsule describes the capsule shell and does not by itself mean that the vitamin D3 is vegan.
EU health claim details
Authorised health claims
A quick consumer view — full regulatory list available below● Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.Bones · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of vitamin D.
General food: 0.75 µg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.375 µg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.75 µg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1227
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
● Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system.Immune system · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of vitamin D.
General food: 0.75 µg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.375 µg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.75 µg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(2):1468
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
● Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function.Muscle function · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of vitamin D.
General food: 0.75 µg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.375 µg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.75 µg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(2):1468
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
×Other assessed health claims (2)
Not authorised for use in the EUView claims ↓
Other assessed health claims (2)
Not authorised for use in the EU● Vitamin D is needed for the normal / proper function of the thyroid. Vitamin D is needed for the proper regulation of blood calcium levels.Thyroid function ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1227
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Vitamin D3 has long been known to aid in calcium absorption, but new research shows that D3 also plays a role in cardiovascular function and supports healthy inflammatory response.Cardiovascular function ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(2):1468
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
Regulatory details
Check how the claims on this page are classified and where their regulatory information comes from.
View page-level details
- Ingredient
- Vitamin D
- Category
- Vitamin
- NRV
- 5 µg
- Authorised claims
- 11
- Other assessed claims
- 2
- Claim framework
- EU nutrition and health claims framework. Individual claim cards show the specific claim type, conditions of use, EFSA reference and legal source available in the version data.
Tip: expand any claim above for its claim-specific source details. The European Commission's EU Register is an information service; legal acts are the authoritative source for legal requirements, and some pending claims are not shown in the Register.
Claim use requirements
How much of this nutrient must a food contain for an EU health claim to be used?
0.375 µg / 100 ml for beverages
0.75 µg per portion if the package contains only one portion