Vitamin D3 1000 IU | 180 Softgels | NOW Foods

Vitamin D3 1000 IU by NOW Foods

In the Netherlands, the sun remains low for much of the year, and you can feel the effects on your vitamin D production. This softgel from NOW Foods contains 1000 IU of vitamin D3, which is 25 micrograms, dissolved in extra virgin olive oil. One small, easy-to-swallow softgel per day. With 180 pieces in the bottle, you have a half-year supply, just enough for the dark season from October through March.

Why vitamin D gets extra attention in the Netherlands

Your skin produces vitamin D under the influence of UVB radiation from sunlight. The problem? Between October and March, that radiation in the Netherlands is too weak to rely on. Food also provides little: fatty fish, eggs, and margarine fortified with vitamin D are actually the only noteworthy sources. That is why the Health Council advises certain groups, such as people with dark skin, people who spend little time outdoors, and those aged 70 and over, to take vitamin D supplements. Many people wonder how much vitamin D they actually need. The basic advice for adults is between 10 and 20 micrograms per day, depending on age and circumstances. This softgel sits just above that with 25 micrograms, and remains well below the European safe upper limit of 100 micrograms per day.

What vitamin D3 does in your body

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form that your skin also produces itself. After ingestion, your liver converts it into a storage form, and your kidneys then convert it into the active form. Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and normal use of calcium and phosphorus. Those two minerals are the building blocks of your skeleton, and therefore vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and normal teeth. In addition, vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the normal function of the muscles. In short: a vitamin that plays a role in many places in your body.

Why the olive oil in the softgel matters

Vitamin D is fat-soluble. That means your body absorbs it better when there is fat around. NOW Foods therefore dissolves the vitamin D3 in extra virgin olive oil and packages it in a soft gelatin capsule. This way, the fat source is already in the softgel itself. Still, preferably take it with a meal, because then your digestion is already actively processing fats. The vitamin D3 in this product is obtained from lanolin, the fat from sheep's wool. That is the common source of D3. Good to know: the softgel contains beef gelatin and is therefore not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

Another practical point: because your body stores vitamin D in fat tissue and the liver, you do not need to panic if you forget one day. Just take 1 softgel again the next day and no double dose. With vitamin D3, it is about intake over weeks and months, not one day. Anyone who puts the bottle in a fixed place, next to the breakfast items for example, will notice that a fixed routine develops naturally. NOW Foods makes these softgels in a GMP-certified facility, an international quality standard for production and control.

A daily softgel of 25 micrograms is a clear, moderate dose for many adults. The size of 180 pieces fits nicely with the months in which the sun lets you down.