I fight the winter blues and this $10 supplement is what I use to get me through spring.

I’m prone to feeling blue during the winter months, but luckily – as I often test products Good fit –I have access to some of the best vitamin D supplements on the market.

My favorite is HUM Here Comes the Sun, which mentions our guide to the best vitamin D supplements as the best option for vegetarians.

Unfortunately, many vitamin D supplements are not suitable for vegetarians because they rely on animal sources of vitamin D3, such as oily fish skin or lanolin from sheep’s wool.

While some plants and fortified plant-based foods contain small amounts of vitamin D, the amount is D2, and research shows that vitamin D3 is more important for supporting healthy vitamin D levels.

D3 is more bioavailable, meaning it is easier for the body to use and circulate. D3 actually increases vitamin D levels almost twice as much as D2. With this in mind, if you follow a plant-based diet, the vitamin D offered by HUM is an excellent choice.

While I was looking for deals, I noticed that HUM had 30% off sitewide during Black Friday weekend. However, when I looked on Amazon, I saw that the deal was even better, with Here Comes the Sun 36% off. Other retailers have discounts, but the deal on Amazon was the best I found.

dose

Each pot contains 30 herbal softgels containing 2000 international units of vitamin D. Keep in mind that you may want to be careful if you take them with a standard multivitamin, as some of these gels can contain similar levels of vitamin D. , which may put you close to the upper limit of 4,000 IU per day, well beyond the 400 IU recommended by the NHS.

US vitamin D dosage recommendations vary slightly, with the NIH recommending 600 IU per day for adults as the minimum and 4,000 as the maximum.

Most governments recommend that people in the Northern Hemisphere take vitamin D supplements from September to April to combat the lack of sunlight (where we get most of our vitamin D) in the winter. Vitamin D is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies, especially for those who work from home or wear clothes that completely cover their skin.

You should also be careful not to overdose, as consistently taking more than the recommended dose of vitamin D can cause calcium to build up in your body, known as hypercalcemia.

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D is important for supporting the immune system. It can also prevent secondary problems caused by vitamin D deficiency, such as osteoporosis and heart disease, because vitamin D helps absorb calcium and phosphorus.

In children, vitamin D deficiency can lead to a condition called rickets, in which the legs bend outwards, which can affect mobility.