Information about Vitamin D

The following is an advertorial. I received the product mentioned in exchange for an honest review on my blog. This post contains affiliate links.

Vitamin D is a hot topic today. The fat-soluble vitamin helps your body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus in its bones. Too much of it can cause problems with your heart, kidneys or lungs, while a deficiency can make your bones weak or lead to other problems. According to a 2008 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vitamin D deficiency is a pandemic.

Image: U.S. National Library of Medicine

This summer, I learned that I had a vitamin D deficiency after a yearly checkup with my physician. She determined this after seeing the results of a blood test she ordered. My doctor instructed me to take 6,000 international units (IU) of a vitamin D3 supplement for three months, followed by 2,000 to 4,000 IU of the supplement for the rest of my life.

For the rest of my life?! What the... My doctor said that some people don't produce or absorb the vitamin on their own as well as others. While my doctor doesn't know why I have this problem, it may have something to do with my thyroid.

In general, causes of vitamin D deficiency include:

• Thyroid problems
• Having darker skin
• Living in a place that doesn't receive a lot of sunlight (the sun can help the body produce the vitamin naturally)
• Never going outside
• Certain medications
• Some herbal supplements
• Liver problems
• Kidney problems
• Malabsorption-related diseases
• Obesity

Image: U.S. National Library of Medicine

Vitamin D3 Supplements

When we discussed vitamin D3 supplements, my doctor warned me to make sure they were of good quality. When DSpeed offered the chance to try its Fast-Melt Vitamin D3, I was definitely interested.


The DSpeed supplement is round tablet that melts in your mouth. I like that feature because I don't have to worry about having water to take it. The tablet has a peach flavor. I like the taste, but I'm also not opposed to the taste of sugar substitutes. 

My one gripe about the supplement is that it's only available in 1,000 IU. Since I was taking 6,000 IU a day, I would have been out of supplements in 10 days. Now that I'm taking 3,000 IU a day, I take a Fast-Melt and a 2,000 IU tablet by a different company.

If you need to take a vitamin D supplement (talk to your doctor about this), and you hate swallowing pills, I recommend the Fast-Melt Vitamin D3, which you can find on Amazon.com.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I receive a small commission if you click on an Amazon.com link and make a purchase.