The Best Vitamin D Drops: Shopping Guide and Recommendations (05/22)

Natures Aid Vitamin D3 Mini Drops for Infants and Children, Sugar Free, 50 ml

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5.19 GBP

Nature's Answer Vitamin D3 Drops

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10.00 GBP

Nutri Advanced D3 Drops with K2 30ml

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19.63 GBP

Vitabiotics Wellbaby Vit D Drops - 30 ml

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4.00 GBP

Baby Ddrops 10 µg 60 Drops - Daily Vitamin D3 Supplement for Infants - Supports Teeth & Bone Health - No Preservatives, No Taste, Non-GMO, Allergen-Friendly.

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9.99 GBP

MAX Absorption Vitamin D3 + K2 (MK-7) Liquid Drops with MCT Oil, Peppermint Flavor, Helps Support Strong Bones and Healthy Heart (D3+K2) (D3+K2)

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18.99 GBP

Buying and evaluation criteria for vitamin D drops

Before you decide to buy vitamin D drops, you can pay attention to several aspects, such as:

Dosing
Age group
Side effects
Ingredients and taste

By making the right choice for you, you can save money and also make sure that you don't give your body anything it doesn't need.

Therefore, always look for high quality and ask to see the manufacturer's certificates if necessary.

Dosing

The daily dosage of vitamin D drops always depends on the person concerned as well as on the supplement. Children, for example, should not take the same amount of vitamin D drops as adults. But more on that in the next point.

In 2013, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D was increased by the German Nutrition Society. () Of course, it can happen that the doctor prescribes a higher dosage, where the doctor's order should be followed.

In the case of high-dosage drops, 1 drop on a teaspoon in combination with a meal is usually recommended. In all cases, a package insert is available that informs about the intake amount.

Age group

Whoever is affected by vitamin D deficiency, be it an adult, child or baby, plays an important role in determining the exact dosage of vitamin D drops. In case of low sun exposure, taking supplements is necessary. The approximate estimates for adequate vitamin D intake, depending on the age group, are:

Age	vitamin D in the absence of synthesis µga per day
Infants (0 to under 12 months)	10µga per day
Children (1 to under 15 years)	20µga per day
Adolescents and adults (15 to under 65 years)	20µga per day
Adults (65 years and over)	20µga per day
Pregnant women	20µga per day
Breastfeeding women	20µga per day

(2)

Side effects

Before you decide to buy vitamin D drops, you should always be aware of the potential side effects that could occur, for example, as a result of an overdose or otherwise.

If an allergic reaction is caused by the ingredients, the doctor should be consulted immediately.

There could be side effects, such as

Swollen lips, tongue or throat,
Difficulty swallowing,
Hives or difficulty breathing

associated with allergies. (3)

Ingredients and taste

You should definitely pay attention to what additional ingredients are included in the liquid vitamin D supplements. Mostly, they are enriched with a sweet taste, so that the consumption is pleasant for the consumer. To give them a fruity taste, components such as orange peel or coconut oil are used.

For diabetics and vegans to be able to take vitamin D drops as well, no sugar or animal ingredients should have been included.

In general, you should check that there are no hidden active ingredients in the supplements, and that natural ingredients are used for the most part.

Guide: Questions you should ask yourself before buying vitamin D drops

In order to inform you comprehensively about the effectiveness of vitamin D drops and to give you an understanding of the current state of science, we have summarised all the important information in the following sections.

What are vitamin D drops and how do they work?

As we already know, vitamin D drops are dietary supplements in liquid form suitable for people suffering from vitamin D deficiency. Most supplements are oil-based and are taken with a meal. Vitamin D has various positive effects on the body.

Bones and muscle strength

Vitamin D has the potential to prevent one in three falls and one in three hip fractures if sufficient doses of 800 IU per day are taken. This is particularly important for the older age group, as such events can have serious consequences for them. (4)

Vitamin D supplementation is a promising therapy concept for seniors, which can have a positive effect on bones and muscle strength.

In addition to calcium influx into the muscle cell, the active vitamin D hormone (1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D) binds to the vitamin D receptor to support protein synthesis. As a result, human muscle strength is improved. (5) Vitamin D is also important for calcium absorption. Without vitamin D, not enough calcium can be extracted from the diet, so it must be leached from the bones to compensate. (6)

Immune system

Vitamin D also has a positive effect on the immune system. It promotes the formation of antimicrobial peptides such as cathelicidin. This influences the development of the defence system and its function, as well as T-cell development. If a deficiency prevails, the defence of the immune system is weakened and the person is more susceptible to diseases. (7)

Psyche

Those who suffer from mental illnesses such as depression or who struggle with chronic fatigue may have had an insufficient intake of vitamin D before. There are specific docking sites for vitamin D receptors in the areas of the brain associated with depression.

A vitamin D level below 20ngl/ml can increase the risk of depression. This explains the origin of "winter depression", which affects many people in the colder seasons.

The shortened days and reduced sunlight, the production of vitamin D is reduced. (8)

When and for whom is it useful to take vitamin D drops?

In short, vitamin D drops are suitable for all people, regardless of age, who suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. To find out if one is affected by a deficiency, a blood test by a doctor is necessary. However, if you don't have the time or opportunity to get tested, you can look out for the following symptoms that may indicate a deficiency:

Hair loss
Weakened immune system, i.e. high susceptibility to diseases and infections.
Sleep disorders
Concentration problems
Bone pain due to disturbed bone mineralisation

The problem with self-diagnosis is that in the end you cannot be sure whether you are actually suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, as the symptoms are very vague and its causes could lie elsewhere. For this reason, a visit to the doctor should be planned.

For certain risk groups, vitamin D drops or other forms of administration are recommended. These include infants, the elderly, dark-skinned people, overweight people, and people who generally have little exposure to sunlight. (9)

Which is better, vitamin D drops or tablets?

Whether you want to take vitamin D supplements in liquid or solid form is up to you. Tablets are of course the most common form, but some people have problems swallowing them. For those, vitamin D drops or liquid versions, such as drinking ampoules or powder, which can be mixed in water, are suitable.

Vitamin D Tropfen-1 — Auf Ergänzungsmittel in Tablettenform wird, in den meisten Fällen, am häufigsten gegriffen.
(Bildquelle: monticello/ 123rf.com)

As we already know, most vitamin D drops have an added flavour, such as coconut or orange, so they are more attractive to the consumer and can make taking them a little more enjoyable.

How long do vitamin D drops need to be taken for?

In principle, vitamin D drops should be taken for a longer period, some even recommend supplementation for the whole life. () However, as this can vary from person to person, points such as dosage and duration of treatment should be discussed with the doctor.

Why do some babies get vitamin D drops?

We know that vitamin D and calcium and phosphate metabolism go hand in hand, as they are responsible for hardening the bones. However, unlike adults, babies cannot go outside in the sun on their own.

In addition, the supply through the diet is usually insufficient.

Babies need a daily supply of 10-12.5µg (10)and this can, in most cases, only be achieved through supplementation. Vitamin D deficiency can be detrimental to the child's bone health, as disruption of bone mineralisation can lead to rickets, deformities of the skeleton, weak muscle strength and higher susceptibility to infection.

However, those who are afraid of an overdose need not worry about this: A vitamin D overdose will not occur if the baby is given the recommended amount of 10-12 ug. Moreover, the tolerable upper limit for children under 10 years of age is 50 uq per day. (11)

What are the alternatives to vitamin D drops?

It may also be that not everyone wants to take medicines and therefore rely on alternatives from nature that contain vitamin D. Nevertheless, you should not forget that the diet is a low source of vitamin D, with an estimated share of only 10% to 20%. () Foods that contain a lot of vitamin D are:

Food	Vitamin D per 100 grams in micrograms (µg)
Herring	31µg
Salmon	16µg
Oysters	8µg
Tuna	5.4µg
Eel (smoked)	90µg

What is striking here is that many marine animals contain a higher amount of vitamin D.

Vitamin D Tropfen-2 — Those who are fans of sea animals can rejoice - many fish and seafood contain a relatively high amount of vitamin D.
(Image source: susansam/ 123rf.com)

However, if you are not a fan of fish and seafood, don't want to take supplements and rarely expose yourself to the sun, this can be a problem.