Vitamin D3

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Specifically for Menopause

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Why it works for Menopause:

Bone health after menopause: Falling estrogen accelerates bone loss and fracture risk. Vitamin D3 increases intestinal calcium absorption, helps maintain bone mineralization, and supports muscle function (reducing falls). Authoritative reviews and guidelines use bone health—not vasomotor symptoms—as the main rationale for vitamin D in midlife/older adults. Office of Dietary Supplements

Not a treatment for hot flashes/night sweats: Major menopause societies conclude vitamin D does not relieve vasomotor symptoms; evidence for mood, sleep, or general symptoms is inconsistent. A European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) statement finds no effect on menopausal symptoms overall, with only a modest signal for vulvovaginal atrophy. The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) nonhormone statement likewise does not recommend vitamin D for hot flashes. EMAS

How to use for Menopause:

Who should consider it

Adults 51–70 years generally need 600 IU (15 mcg) daily, and adults ≥71 years need 800 IU (20 mcg) from diet + supplements combined (U.S. National Academies). Aim for serum 25-OH-vitamin D ≥ 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) for most healthy adults. National Academies Press
Supplementation is appropriate when intake/sun exposure is insufficient, in documented deficiency, or when a clinician recommends it for osteoporosis/high fracture risk (often alongside calcium). EMAS: consider vitamin D with calcium for women with low D and osteoporosis or high fracture risk. EMAS
The 2024 Endocrine Society guideline does not advise routine testing or supplementation beyond usual intakes to prevent disease in otherwise healthy adults 19–74; it targets supplementation to specific indications. Endocrine

How much

Typical supplement doses to “top up” intake: 400–1,000 IU/day (10–25 mcg) depending on diet/sun.
Upper limit: Do not exceed 4,000 IU/day (100 mcg) long-term without medical supervision (toxicity risk). National Academies Press
If you are deficient, clinicians may prescribe higher short-term doses and recheck levels—follow your provider’s plan (see guideline above). Oxford Academic

How to take it

With a meal containing fat (or your largest meal) to improve absorption (≈50–57% higher 25-OH-D in a prospective cohort). cardiacos.net
D3 vs D2: D3 (cholecalciferol) is the common over-the-counter choice; both forms are acceptable per guidelines. Oxford Academic
For bone protection, many women also need adequate calcium from food and, if needed, supplements—discuss total daily calcium with your clinician. (See NAMS osteoporosis statement.) Huntington Hospital

Scientific Evidence for Menopause:

Fractures/Bone outcomes

Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) CaD trial (36,282 postmenopausal women): 1,000 mg calcium carbonate + 400 IU D3 daily vs placebo. Overall results showed small effects; adherent subgroups saw modest hip-fracture reduction. Kidney stones were increased (see “Warnings”). Original NEJM paper; NIH ODS update/review. New England Journal of Medicine
Cochrane Review (postmenopausal women & older men): Vitamin D alone generally does not reduce fractures; vitamin D + calcium can help specific higher-risk groups. Cochrane
Systematic reviews in menopausal women (2024 Proceedings of the Nutrition Society): vitamin D raises 25-OH-D and supports skeletal/muscle function; benefits on BMD are more apparent when baseline D is low or combined with calcium. Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Menopausal symptoms

WHI CaD symptom analysis: Calcium 1000 mg + D3 400 IU did not change menopause symptom scores over ~5.7 years. ScienceDirect
Guidelines/position statements: EMAS (2023/2024) and NAMS (2023 nonhormone statement) do not recommend vitamin D for vasomotor symptoms; only a modest effect is suggested for vulvovaginal atrophy. EMAS

Guidance & dosing frameworks

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Fact Sheet: RDAs, serum thresholds, UL, interactions. Office of Dietary Supplements
Endocrine Society 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline: disease-prevention stance (not routine high-dose use in healthy adults). Full guideline & synopsis. Oxford Academic
National Academies (IOM) report brief: RDAs and UL = 4,000 IU/day for adults. National Academies Press

Specific Warnings for Menopause:

Not a substitute for evidence-based therapies for menopausal symptoms. For hot flashes/night sweats, see NAMS nonhormone and hormone therapy pathways; use vitamin D for bone/deficiency, not for vasomotor relief. UW Departments

Upper intake limit: Avoid chronic intakes > 4,000 IU/day unless supervised; excess can cause hypercalcemia (nausea, vomiting, confusion, weakness, arrhythmias, kidney injury). National Academies Press

Kidney stones: In WHI, calcium (1000 mg) + D3 (400 IU) increased kidney stone risk by ~17% over 7 years. Consider total calcium intake and personal stone risk. Office of Dietary Supplements

Drug interactions (examples):

Thiazide diuretics (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide): combined with vitamin D/calcium can raise calcium levels—monitor if used together. Office of Dietary Supplements
Glucocorticoids, anticonvulsants: can lower vitamin D status—may require adjusted dosing/monitoring.
Orlistat, cholestyramine: reduce absorption; separate dosing. (Comprehensive list in NIH ODS fact sheet.) Office of Dietary Supplements

Medical conditions: Use caution and seek medical guidance if you have sarcoidosis or other granulomatous diseases, hyperparathyroidism, severe kidney disease, or a history of hypercalcemia. (General hypercalcemia guidance provided by endocrine societies.) Society for Endocrinology

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General Information (All Ailments)

Note: You are viewing ailment-specific information above. This section shows the general remedy information for all conditions.

What It Is

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is a fat-soluble vitamin that the human body can make on its own when UV-B sunlight hits the skin. It can also be consumed in food (e.g., egg yolks, oily fish, fortified milk) or taken as a supplement. After entering the body, D3 is converted in the liver to calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D), and then in the kidneys to calcitriol — the hormonally active form of vitamin D. These conversions are tightly regulated because vitamin D behaves less like a “vitamin” and more like a hormone with genomic effects.

How It Works

The active form of vitamin D (calcitriol) binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a nuclear receptor present in many cell types. Once bound, the vitamin D–VDR complex regulates the transcription of genes involved in calcium absorption, bone remodeling, immune signaling, and cellular differentiation. One of its clearest roles is to raise blood calcium by increasing absorption from the gut, reducing loss in the kidneys, and mobilizing calcium from bone when needed. Beyond mineral metabolism, vitamin D also modulates innate and adaptive immunity, reduces inflammatory signaling, and influences the differentiation of many tissues — which is why deficiency affects systems far beyond bones.

Why It’s Important

Vitamin D is essential for maintaining mineral balance and skeletal integrity; deficiency can lead to osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children, and even subclinical deficiency increases the rate of fractures and bone loss. Its immunomodulatory actions appear to reduce the incidence or severity of some infections, especially respiratory ones in deficient individuals. Observationally, low vitamin D status has been associated with higher rates of autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, some cancers, depression, and all-cause mortality — though association does not prove that supplementation prevents those outcomes. Nevertheless, population-level insufficiency is common due to indoor lifestyles, sunscreen use, higher latitudes, winter seasons, darker skin pigmentation (which reduces cutaneous synthesis), aging skin, and obesity (which sequesters fat-soluble vitamins in adipose tissue).

Considerations

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so excess can accumulate and cause toxicity (hypercalcemia, kidney stones, vascular calcification), though this is usually from chronic high-dose supplementation, not sunlight or diet. Personal need varies by latitude, season, skin tone, age, body fat, and kidney/liver function, so a single fixed dose is not universally appropriate. Measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the standard way to assess status; targets differ by guideline, but values persistently below ~20 ng/mL are generally considered deficient, whereas most toxicity reports involve sustained levels above ~100 ng/mL. Because vitamin D raises calcium absorption, adequate vitamin K2 and magnesium status may help maintain safer calcium handling, while thiazide use, sarcoidosis, and certain granulomatous diseases can increase sensitivity to vitamin D. In pregnancy and lactation, requirements rise, but dosing should still be individualized rather than assumed.

Helps with these conditions

Vitamin D3 is most effective for general wellness support with emerging research . The effectiveness varies by condition based on clinical evidence and user experiences.

Common Cold 0% effective

Flu 0% effective

COVID-19 0% effective

Depression 0% effective

Eczema 0% effective

Menopause 0% effective

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Common Cold

0% effective

Immune regulation & antimicrobial peptides. Vitamin D (the active form 1,25-diOH-D) binds the Vitamin D Receptor in immune cells and epithelial ce...

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