https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20200983

Bear in mind that Vitamin D3 is fat soluble, therefore it's likely the largest meal of the day contains the most fat.
Probably accounts for the fact that oil based gel caps are more reliable than solid tablets (tablets may not have dissolved while the fat is about).
I prefer the carrier oil to be MCT (medium chain triglyceride oil) this is very easily absorbed and quickly metabolised, so it's less likely to be stored (taking the D3 into storage and out of circulation) MCT's are also extremely stable so less likely to go rancid in storage.
Country Life, Vitamin D3, 5,000 IU, 200 Softgels These are what I use. I get mine from IHERB those new to IHERB may want to save $5 with code WAB666. Iherb are cheapest including postage to the UK but you may find them cheaper including P&P elswhere. (haven't time to do a price comparison.)

Those who are not good at remembering to take supplements at the right time may prefer to use BIOTEC 50,000IU VITAMIN D3 FREE SHIPPING
1000iu/daily for each 25lbs you weigh is usually sufficient.
So 175lbs weight = 7000iu/daily =49,000iu week
So ONE ONLY X 50,000iu capsule EACH WEEK is all you require.

These are a dry powder filled capsules. So if you take it just before you eat it should be absorbed well with your food. It's possible to pull the capsule shell apart and sprinkle the fine white powder into your food.
Vitamin D3 is very robust, you could include it before you do your cooking, so it could go in a cookie recipe with the fat or you could mix it with the fat in your own home-made ice-cream and freeze it.
This may be an easy way to provide a daily D3 supplement for elderly people or children. Make a cookie mix, add the contents of one 50,000iu capsule. Mix well, Divide into 14 portions, each will contain roughly 3500iu or divided into 28 cookies for 1750iu/each.

What Vitamin D3 cannot stand is LIGHT EXPOSURE so leaving the capsules exposed to UVA will degrade the Vitamin D content.

Thanks for that info about being able to cook with vitamin D. This is really good news for one woman I am working with who really wants to improve her health but has the most difficult time swallowing pills, which makes her gag, and even throw up sometimes..... but she is a great cookie baker and does so several times a week! she will be thrilled!

Do you know of any info on vitamin D3 for cats or dogs? Do they benefit from it? I was thinking not so much due to all the fur on their skin, that it is not something for them... but we have some very sick animals around right now and I guess I'm just fishing for ideas.

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So if you took D with Coconut Oil it would make them easier to swallow, and makes them absorb better.

Dan

Hi Arrow, you made me curious about the Vitamin D for dogs. From everything I've read, it doesn't look like it's good to give them any additional D in supplement form. Here's just one site:

What's wrong with the animals, are they all sick in the same way?

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The MCT OIL used as a carrier oil is derived from Coconut oil (it's more refined so the concentration of MCT's is higher) My coconut oil (I live in the UK) is solid throughout the year (I have to put it in a warm spot to pour it out of the bulk container, so I'm not sure if it would make capsules easier to swallow. But certainly ensuring you have fat in the meal should help absorption. Coconut oil is fine, so is butter.

For people who have trouble swallowing even tiny vitamin D capsules, the MCT oil based gel caps don't HAVE to be taken orally. Pierce the capsules, squirt the contents onto your skin massage into the skin and both the oil and the VITAMIN D3 will be absorbed. Vit d is made in the skin naturally so this is a normal route for Vitamin D absorption. MCT oil is better than others for this method as it is odorless. Fish oil would make you stink and olive oil may also have a smell (and could go off, and nobody needs extra omega 6 as most people have way to much anyway.

Good to know that I've been doing it right all along - I take my first D3 right after
I've finished my largest meal. Then another one after my smaller evening meal. I
don't drink anything With my meals.

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This is what I do. I take a spoonful of coconut oil with my supplements.