It is essential to maintain an optimal level of vitamin D through all stages of life, from fetal development to old age.* Vitamin D helps protect a number of important functions in the body.* The federal government’s current recommended daily vitamin D intake of 400 IUs is based on the minimum amount to protect against bone disease.* However, an upward revision of the government’s guideline is now being considered because of new research, especially pertaining to immune function. Current research suggests that serum vitamin D levels in the body should be in the range of 32-80 ng/mL of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Although direct sunlight exposure is a good source of vitamin D, many individuals do not get enough sunlight exposure due to seasonal changes, living in a northern latitude, or a lifestyle not conducive to being outside. Vitamin D supplementation can be of great benefit in these cases.*

The amount of vitamin D needed to achieve minimum vitamin D sufficiency (generally recognized to be a blood level of 32 ng/mL of 25-hydroxyvitamin D) depends on many factors and varies from individual to individual. Thus, the requirement for vitamin D supplementation should be individualized. D-5,000, which supplies 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 in each vegetarian capsule, is ideal for maintaining an optimal level of vitamin D levels in healthy individuals.*

Some vitamins, because of their potency, are given in very small amounts. Examples of such "micro-dose" vitamins include vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin B12. Most nutritional supplement manufacturers purchase "micro-dose" vitamins from a raw material supplier as a pre-mixed dilution, meaning the vitamin (in powder form) is mixed with other powdered substances that in turn make it easier for the manufacturer to handle and mix a larger quantity of raw material. Unfortunately, the powdered substances used in these pre-mixed dilutions can frequently contain potentially detrimental ingredients such as lactose, as well as the preservatives BHT, BHA, sodium benzoate, and sorbic acid.

D-5,000 is not made using a pre-mixed dilution of vitamin D. Instead, the beginning raw material is undiluted vitamin D from which a final mixture is made by Thorne Research using hypoallergenic powders such as plant cellulose, leucine, and silicon dioxide.

D-5,000 is NSF Certified for Sport®.