TO studio 2021 A study conducted in Korea tested these two methods of obtaining vitamin D. Participants with vitamin D deficiency were given a choice between exposure to sunlight and a modest level of oral vitamin D supplementation (1000 IU of D3 taken daily, to be exact).
Serum 25(OH)D levels (ie, the blood biomarker for vitamin D status) were assessed at the beginning and end of the three-month study to document changes. The sunlight exposure group had no significant increase in mean serum 25(OH)D levels, while the oral supplementation group experienced a mean serum increase of 11 ng/mL at the end of three months.
In other words, vitamin D levels increased in participants who took 1,000 IU of vitamin D3, while those exposed to the sun did not experience significant changes. This confirmed what mindbodygreen has known all along: vitamin D supplements it is the most effective and efficient method to raise vitamin D to sufficiency levels.*
nutrition scientist Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN shared these additional insights: “This study is valuable for two reasons. First, it demonstrates the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in positively affecting vitamin D status. Second, it confirms the phenomenon supported by pharmacokinetic research that predicts that 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 will move the 25(OH)D ‘needle’ by about 10 ng/ml in normal weight adults. That predictable math is why we actually need a lot more vitamin D, about 5000 IU or more, to achieve and maintain Vitamin D sufficiency throughout life..”*
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