Days are getting darker: Experts reveal the best Vitamin D supplements to take daily

Many people don’t know what vitamin D does or why they might need one of the best vitamin D supplements to get it.Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for health.Specifically, it acts as a hormone in that it helps regulate actions in cells and supports our gut’s ability to use calcium. Our muscles also need vitamin D to move, and nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and body systems.Our bodies naturally synthesize Vitamin D through sunlight, as UVB radiation converts compounds in the skin into previtamin D3, which then turns into active Vitamin D3.

But with days getting shorter, darker and colder, hitting your daily dose naturally isn’t quite so simple.“Vitamin D can be produced by the action of sunlight on our skin,” Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, RD, professor and licensed registered dietitian at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and food and nutrition specialist for NDSU Extension, told the New York Post.“For that reason, vitamin D has been called the ‘sunshine vitamin.’ It can be found in some foods naturally [and, since it’s present in a few foods naturally,] it was added to cow’s milk originally as a public health measure.”You may notice vitamin D fortified within other foods, including some breakfast cereals and fruit juices.

However, while vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium to build and maintain strong bones throughout life, some people experience a deficiency or simply want to supplement their intake with — as fitting as its name is —a vitamin D supplement.To help you best understand all there is to know about vitamin D — including intake, dosage, deficiencies and more — New York Post Shopping tapped a registered dietitian, double-board-certified physician and pharmacist to capture every angle of this essential vitamin in our in-depth FAQ section.Plus, we highlight the 10 best vitamin D supplements of 2025 after rigorous research, combing through studies and looking up each one on a third...