Many of us take supplements to ensure we get the recommended intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D3 Vegan, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is a trendy dietary supplement as D3 is a crucial vitamin that plays a significant role in our overall health.
But you may be wondering: when’s the best time to take a vitamin D3 supplement to ensure maximum benefits?
The best time to take vitamin D3 supplements is in the morning with a healthy breakfast consisting of quality fats. Avoid taking vitamin D at night to ensure a good night’s sleep.
To learn more about why morning is the best time to take vitamin D3 and tips on how you can improve your body’s absorption of this essential vitamin, keep reading. We have all the information you need on how to take vitamin D3 to offer the best results.
When’s the best time to take vitamin D3?
The best time to take vitamin D3 supplements is in the morning.
While we can technically take vitamins at any time of day, developing a morning routine is generally more convenient and can prevent us from forgetting. Setting a morning alarm or placing the vitamin bottle by the coffee machine can further guarantee that we’ll remember to take our vitamin D3 supplement and avoid a vitamin D deficiency.
Should I take vitamin D3 with food?
We don’t recommend taking this vitamin on an empty stomach.
Instead, we should take our vitamin D supplement with a meal, preferably after a large breakfast of healthy fats. But why does this method of taking vitamin D3 work best?
One study found that taking vitamin D3 with a large meal improved absorption and resulted in higher vitamin D levels within the body. It was concluded that taking a vitamin D3 supplement with the largest meal of the day resulted in a 50% increase in serum levels of 25(OH)D levels.
That being said, it’s important to note that the foods we’re eating for breakfast can also impact the effectiveness of vitamin D3. Studies show that the presence of fat in a meal with which a vitamin D3 supplement is taken significantly enhances the supplement's absorption.
But why does the consumption of healthy fats improve our vitamin D3 intake? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that dissolves best in fats. When we take this nutrient alongside fatty foods, it can dissolve quickly and work in our bodies much faster.
A few examples of healthy fats we can incorporate into our breakfast to help with the absorption of vitamin D3 include:
- Egg yolks
- Cheese
- Avocados
- Chia seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Full-fat yogurt
Why you should avoid taking vitamin D3 at night
Some evidence suggests that taking vitamin D3 at night could negatively affect our sleep cycle and quality. But how does this work?
Research suggests that vitamin D and melatonin are contrary to each other or have an inverse correlation. When our vitamin D levels are higher, our melatonin levels are lower.
This is significant if we consider the role vitamin D3 plays in our sleep, as melatonin is a hormone responsible for regulating our sleep cycle and circadian rhythms.
While more research is needed to determine whether or not taking vitamin D at night definitively can inhibit sleep, we recommend avoiding this dietary supplement once it gets dark to help improve our sleep quality.
Final thoughts
While taking dietary supplements can be a great way to consume essential vitamins, we should take them correctly to ensure the best results.
Vitamin D3 is a supplement that, when taken in the morning with a healthy breakfast, can provide a variety of benefits to our health.
FuelOrganics offers a high-quality Vitamin D3 Vegan for anyone looking to include vitamin D in their diet and maintain bone health.
For more information on vitamin D3, check out some of our articles:
Why You Should Take Vitamin D3 With Magnesium
Trusted sources
- Mulligan GB, Licata A. Taking vitamin D with the largest meal improves absorption and results in higher serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. J Bone Miner Res. 2010 Apr;25(4):928-30. DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.67. PMID: 20200983.
- Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Lichtenstein AH, Dolnikowski G, Palermo NJ, Rasmussen H. Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015 Feb;115(2):225-230. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2014.09.014. Epub 2014 Nov 17. PMID: 25441954.
- Ghareghani, M., Reiter, R. J., Zibara, K., & Farhadi, N. (2018). Latitude, Vitamin D, Melatonin, and Gut Microbiota Act in Concert to Initiate Multiple Sclerosis: A New Mechanistic Pathway. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 2484. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02484