Vitamin D 1,000 IU by Ortho Molecular Products

If your Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy is in the lower part of the normal range and you want a steady maintenance dose, vitamin D3 1,000 IU fits. It’s practical if you get little sun, have darker skin, use sunscreen consistently, or live at northern latitudes. People with higher body weight often need more than 1,000 IU. If your level is meaningfully low, this is usually too small for repletion and you’ll likely need a higher dose under clinician guidance, then step down.

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is the form your skin makes from sunlight, and it’s better at raising blood levels than D2 (ergocalciferol). Your liver and kidneys turn D3 into the active hormone that increases calcium absorption from the gut and keeps parathyroid hormone (the signal that pulls calcium from bone) in check. That’s why adequate D3 supports bone density. The splashy infection claims from early COVID didn’t hold up in randomized trials, so don’t take it for that purpose.

Take one capsule daily with a meal that contains fat, which improves absorption. Morning or evening both work. Expect Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy to rise within 4 to 12 weeks, so re-test after about 8 to 12 weeks and adjust. This is a maintenance-level dose; for those with established deficiency, clinicians typically use higher short-term dosing and then transition to 1,000–2,000 IU for upkeep.

Skip unsupervised vitamin D3 if you’ve had high calcium levels, recurrent kidney stones, sarcoidosis or other granulomatous disease (conditions that can overproduce active D). Thiazide diuretics (blood pressure meds that reduce calcium loss) increase risk of high calcium when combined. Orlistat and bile acid binders reduce absorption; separate dosing by several hours. If you take high-dose calcium, monitor calcium and Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy with your clinician.