While 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day may seem like a lot, if your goal is to achieve and maintain vitamin D sufficiency, this dose is subeffective compared to higher strength doses such as 5,000 IU and 10,000 IU. And if your current vitamin D status is below 30 ng/mL, a low dose like 1,000 IU simply isn’t enough to get your levels above 30 ng/mL, let alone into the winning range of around 50 ng /ml. (Fira previously explained the math of vitamin D here).
research published by the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reporting on important research by the late vitamin D advocate and bone health expert Dr. Robert P. Heaney shows that taking 1,000 IU daily (of D3, not D2, which is less powerful) will only raise 25(OH)D levels by about 10 ng/mL. This simply isn’t enough if you’re dealing with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, or trying to maintain vitamin D sufficiency, for that matter.*
In fact, a high-potency vitamin D supplement of 5,000 IU per day is ideal for most people; or duplication may be necessary, since people may need more or less depending on your unique biology, body composition, and health considerations.
Realistically speaking, if you’re looking to raise your 25(OH)D levels to 50 ng/mL or higher to be completely sufficient in vitamin D, anything less than 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day is unlikely to do the trick, according to Science.
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