What is Vitamin D and what is it good for?

Vitamin D is a unique vitamin that is often called “the sunshine vitamin.” It’s different from other nutrients because it can be produced from the sun as well as be consumed. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin that’s not just a good-to-have, but a must-have for your overall health and wellness.*
Why is Vitamin D Important?
Vitamin D is key to your health because it provides bone, muscle, and immune support*:
- Bone Support: Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium and calcium is critical in supporting bone health.*
- Muscle Support: Vitamin D provides muscle support.*
- Immune Support: Vitamin D provides immune support and is involved in some of the processes of our immune system.*
How to Get More Vitamin D
Most Americans don’t get enough vitamin D. In fact, according to the What We Eat in American survey from 2015-2018, 96% of Americans do not meet recommended intakes of vitamin D!
There are three ways to get more vitamin D:
The Sun
Our skin creates vitamin D from sunlight. However, getting enough vitamin D from sunlight is not always easy. There are many factors that may limit how much vitamin D you can make from the sun:
- Weather: During the winter months when it is cloudy, our bodies are not able to make as much vitamin D.
- Geography: Living in northern climates means you get less direct sunshine, which can also affect how much vitamin D can be made from the sun.
- Sunscreen: While very important for skin cancer prevention, sunscreen also limits how much vitamin D we can make.
- Skin color: Melanin in darker skin tones also decreases the amount of vitamin D that your body can produce from the sun.
Foods with vitamin D
Unlike other nutrients that are found in many foods, it takes a bit more work to find foods with vitamin D. The good news is there are options available if you are looking to increase your vitamin D intake through food.
And don’t forget, ready to eat cereal is often fortified with vitamin D so check the label!
Vitamin D Supplements
Since vitamin D is not always an easy nutrient to get from food or sun, many people find it convenient to get vitamin D from supplements. You can find vitamin D supplements as part of a multivitamin or on its own.
How do I get more vitamin D in the winter?
In the winter, the position of the sun means it’s harder to make vitamin D in your skin. One easy way to ensure you get the vitamin D that you need in the winter is to take a vitamin D supplement. You can also make sure to choose foods that provide vitamin D.
Are there Vitamin D gummies for adults?
Yes! There are a few vitafusion™ vitamin D gummy supplements:
- Vitamin D3 – with 50mcg of vitamin D per serving, these delicious gummies come in peach, blackberry and strawberry flavors.
- Extra Strength Vitamin D3 – every two-gummy serving provides 375% of the Daily Value of Vitamin D3 with a sumptuous strawberry flavor.
There are also several multivitamins that include vitamin D3, including vitafusion™ Womens’ Multivitamin, MultiVites, Multi + Immune and Men’s Multivitamin.
Is vitamin D the same as vitamin D3?
Vitamin D3 is a type of vitamin D. Vitamin D in foods and dietary supplements comes in two main forms – vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D is the overall name for the different types of vitamin D.
Vitafusion™ is Here to Help with Vitamin D Supplements and More
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that has many roles in our bodies. Ensuring that you get enough vitamin D - whether it’s from the sun, food or a supplement – is important for health.* Check out the delicious vitafusion™ gummies available to support your vitamin D intake.
Brought to you by the vitafusion™ nutrition experts.