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What Is the Correct Dosage of Vitamin D for Adults?

Everyone needs proper amounts of vitamin D, but we seldom get enough of it from food or sunlight. How much do we actually need, and can you take too much of it?

By Stephen C. George; Medically Reviewed by Dr. Ahmad Talha Azam
Feb 23, 2024 8:15 PMApr 4, 2024 7:19 PM
Vitamin D keeps you healthy while lack of sun. Yellow soft shell D-vitamin capsule against sun and blue sky on sunny day. Cure concept.
(Credit: FotoHelin/Shutterstock)

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It’s a universal truth: If you have a skeleton, you absolutely need vitamin D. Without this critical vitamin, your body wouldn’t be able to absorb calcium, the primary ingredient we all require for strong, healthy bones.

Of course, vitamin D’s value to your body is more than simply skeletal. It’s a crucial nutrient for your muscles, your nervous system, and even your immune system.  The sunshine vitamin is known to help with infections and inflammation and may also help inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells.

But how much vitamin D should adults get every day? When and how should you take it? Is there a big difference between vitamin D2 and D3? Can you take too much — and what would happen if you did? We’ve got your answers in this quick and easy guide to optimum vitamin D dosage.

Where Can You Find Vitamin D?

(Credit: morisfoto/Shutterstock)
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