How much vitamin D you need to take is determined by how much sun you get and how you get from food or supplements. Each person's body handles both of those variables differently. For instance, the darker the natural color of your skin, the less it translates sun exposure to vitamin D. Also, each person absorbs supplements vitamin differently. For instance, several years ago my doctor told me that my Vitamin D level was too low and I needed to get more sun or take supplements. So I started taking 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day. Supposedly, that is 250% of what I needed. On my last blood test, my vitamin D level was 52, barely within the normal range. Accordingly, my doctor told me to double the amount, because my body was not absorbing the supplement very well.
Actually, anyone who is at least a medium sized adult of either gender, and doesn’t spend a couple hours a day almost naked in the sun, should take 5k iu a day. K2 also to help it absorb and do its thing.
If you are obese you may need more than 5k iu a day.
Elementary and preschool kids should take 2000 iu a day. Babies should take 1000 iu a day in one drop on their bottle’s or their mom’s nipple.
It is very telling how rotten and corrupt the US medical community has become that not a single doctor I have ever had has tested my Vitamin D levels or asked if I was taking supplements. They just push Statins. Vitamins are just an afterthought. Big Pharma owns them lock, stock, and barrel, so everything is about expensive prescription medicine. You ask about vitamins and all you get is “well, they can’t hurt”.
I don’t blame front line Doctors for this. It is the Medical schools, AMA, hospitals foundations, and Big Pharma that is depriving Doctors of good training in medical schools. Barely a word about vitamins or dietary nutrition. Oh, I have had very good doctors who do promote “lifestyle choices”, diet and excercise. But nothing ever specific or helpful
What do I get from Doctors? “Don’t eat fat or cholesterol”, which is exactly wrong.
Add K2 to absorb D3.
52 is a perfectly fine vitamin D level. Anything above 40 and below 101 is likely to be “good enough”. But increasing your D-3 supplement from 2000 IU to 4000 IU is also fine. Fauci takes 6000 IU/day.
More important is to also supplement vitamin K2, to make sure vitamin D puts calcium into your bones and not into your blood vessels.
It is easier to take 5000 units of D3 daily and adjust if your doctor, if you go to one of those, tells you your level is too high. Ask him for the number. If it is less than 50 then take more. When your doc sends you for a periodic blood test ask him if D is included. If not ask him to include it. Do not tell him it is for WuFlu prophylaxis. Tell him you are worried about rickets.