Vitamin DShould you take vitamin D with food?
Updated 3 Nov 2026
Short answer
Taking it with a meal that contains fat helps. In a trial of 50 healthy older adults, a single 50,000 IU dose of vitamin D3 was taken with breakfast.[1] With a fat-containing breakfast, the peak blood level of vitamin D3 was 32% higher than with a fat-free one.[1]
The ratio of monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat in the meal did not matter.[1] Some vitamin D is absorbed even without fat in the meal.[2]
Sources (2)
- Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Lichtenstein AH, Dolnikowski G, Palermo NJ, Rasmussen H J Acad Nutr Diet, 2015. PMID 25441954
- Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov
More about vitamin d
What is vitamin D?How do you get vitamin D from sunlight and food?What is vitamin D used for?What vitamin D blood level is too low?Is vitamin D safe?Does vitamin D prevent fractures?For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.