Looking to top up your vitamin D levels? Dietitian Laura Tilt selects the best vitamin D supplements available in 2024 – including vegan-friendly, sports-tested and tablet-free options…
You might be clued up on the best supplements for muscle growth, but are you taking the right supplements to support your overall health and wellbeing? Learning about the best vitamin D supplements is a great place to start.
Essential for bone health, muscle and immune function, vitamin D is unique in that it is naturally synthesised by the body when your skin is exposed to sunshine. Unfortunately, the sun’s rays are a rare thing in the UK – especially in the depths of winter – and coupled with the fact there are few foods naturally rich in vitamin D, a supplement is recommended from October through April, and year-round if you have darker skin (which makes less vitamin D) or spend a lot of time indoors.
Read on for our pick of the best vitamin D supplements available in 2024, all of which contain vitamin D3, the body’s preferred form, to help you reap the benefits of vitamin D.
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Best vitamin D Supplements 2024
- Tablet-free option: BetterYou Vitamin D 1000 IU Oral Spray (£7.95 for 100 sprays, amazon.co.uk – international shipping available)
- Vegan vitamin D: Together Health Vitamin D3 (£6.99 for 30 tablets, amazon.co.uk – international shipping available)
- Vitamin D juice shot: Moju Hot Mango Immunity Shot (£27.80 for 4 x 420ml bottles, mojudrinks.com – not available in the US)
- Sports tested supplement: Healthspan Elite Vitamin D3 1,000 IU (£9.99 for 120 tablets, decathlon.co.uk – international shipping available)
- Everyday supplement: Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 400 IU (£3.95 for 96 tablets, amazon.co.uk – international shipping available)
1. BetterYou Vitamin D 1000 Oral Spray
Best tablet-free option
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Vitamin content: 4.5/5
Ease of consumption: 5/5
Sustainable packaging: 4/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
A great pill-free option, BetterYou’s Vitamin D1000 Oral Spray is minty fresh. Each spray contains 25μg of vitamin D, 2.5μg more than the UK gov recommended dose. However, this is backed by research suggesting larger doses are needed to achieve optimal levels (and well within safe limits).
Research led by Cardiff University also found absorption of the BetterYou sprays is faster and more effective than a traditional tablet. Each bottle contains 100 doses, costing 8 pence a day. Take any time of day with or without food – leave next to your toothbrush and you’re unlikely to forget. Oh, and the bottle is fully recyclable.
2. Together Health Vitamin D3
Best vegan vitamin D supplement
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Vitamin content: 4/5
Ease of consumption: 3/5
Sustainable packaging: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Most vitamin D supplements are derived from lanolin – a waxy substance found in sheep’s wool (yep, really). So, if you’re strictly vegan, you’ll want to know about plant-based options.
Together Health’s Vitamin D3 is extracted from lichen (which is somewhere between an algae and a fungus) and packaged into capsules with coconut oil to assist absorption, since vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient. Each capsule contains 25μg of vitamin D3, with one pouch lasting a month. Plus points for the plastic free, compostable packaging.
3. Moju Hot Mango Immunity Shot
Best vitamin D juice shot
Vitamin content: 4/5
Ease of consumption: 5/5
Sustainable packaging: 3/5
OVERALL: 4/5
If you’re someone that never remembers to take a supplement, Moju’s Hot Mango Immunity Shots could help you buck the trend. A blend of apple, citrus, ginger, and turmeric, each 60ml shot also packs 20μg of vitamin D, sourced from seaweed (which makes them vegan-friendly, too).
Yes, it’s more expensive than a pill, but if you have a bigger budget you’ll quickly become addicted to this punchy little shot as part of your morning routine. Each bottle contains a week’s worth of shots, and Moju offers a handy delivery of four bottles once a month, in recyclable packaging.
4. Healthspan Elite Vitamin D3 1,000 IU
Best vitamin D supplement for athletes
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Vitamin content: 4/5
Ease of consumption: 3/5
Sustainable packaging: 2/5
OVERALL: 3.5/5
If you’re competing in elite sport, then you’ll want to make sure your supplements are free from banned substances. Healthspan’s Elite Vitamin D is informed sport tested so you can be confident it’s been robustly tested.
Each small, easy-to-swallow tablet contains 25μg of vitamin D. This is over the standard daily recommendation, but there’s evidence to suggest that athletes may benefit from higher intakes, particularly those training or competing predominantly indoors. Swallow with water or a cold drink, alongside a meal to support absorption.
5. Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 400 IU
Best everyday vitamin D supplement
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Vitamin content: 3/5
Ease of consumption: 3/5
Sustainable packaging: 2/5
OVERALL: 3/5
Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D does exactly what is says on the box; it contains the everyday level of vitamin D recommended by the UK government, which is 10 micrograms (μg) or 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D.
Taken throughout winter, this will support musculoskeletal health and immune function. Plus, a single box will last you three months, making this a cost-effective option and ideal for those who are happy taking a tablet. Swallow with a cold drink and consume alongside your largest meal of the day to maximise absorption.
