For adults EFSA sets an adequate intake of 15 µg (600 IU) of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) a day and an upper level of 100 µg (4000 IU) from food and all food supplements together. Stivits sells D3 capsules of 2000 IU (50 µg) and 4000 IU (100 µg): take 1 capsule a day with meals; one pack lasts 180 days. The 2000 IU capsule leaves room below the upper level; the 4000 IU capsule sits exactly at it. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. D3 together with K2 comes in a tablet (100 µg of each) and in an omega-3 capsule (50 µg of each). A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
The table covers servings from 5 to 100 µg. Other Stivits complexes contain from 2.5 µg to 83 µg of D3 per serving (the most in one multivitamin-type tablet, 83 µg, and in sachets taken up to 3 a day, 100 µg in total), so add up the doses from all your food supplements. The serving is given in the first column; 1 µg equals 40 IU.
| Stivits product and serving | Vitamin D3 | % NRV | What else is in the serving | Form and base | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D3 2000 IU Safflower Oil, 1 capsule | 50 µg (2000 IU) | 1000% | vitamin D3 only | soft capsule, safflower oil | 180 days |
| Vitamin D3 4000 IU High Strength with Olive Oil, 1 capsule | 100 µg (4000 IU) | 2000% | vitamin D3 only | soft capsule, olive oil | 180 days |
| Vitamin K2 100 mcg+D3 4000 UI, 1 tablet | 100 µg (4000 IU) | 2000% | vitamin K2 100 µg (133% NRV) | tablet | 120 days |
| Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000 mg +D3 +K2 + Vitamin E, 1 capsule | 50 µg (2000 IU) | 1000% | vitamin K2 50 µg (67% NRV), vitamin E 12 mg, EPA 330 mg, DHA 220 mg | soft capsule, fish oil | 60 days |
| Immuno Support, 1 tablet | 25 µg (1000 IU) | 500% | vitamin C 1000 mg, zinc 15 mg | tablet | 90 days |
| Calcium+ Vitamin D3, 2 tablets | 10 µg (400 IU) | 200% | calcium 900 mg | tablet | 45 days |
| Multivitamins and Minerals, 1 tablet | 5 µg (200 IU) | 100% | other vitamins and minerals, for example vitamin C 100 mg and zinc 5 mg | tablet | 90 days |
The EU register permits these claims for vitamin D. The threshold is 0.75 µg in the daily serving, and one Stivits capsule a day gives 50 or 100 µg.
All of these claims describe the normal function of the body. A dose far above the threshold does not make a claim stronger, so choose a capsule by your total daily intake and the upper level.
For adults EFSA sets an adequate intake of 15 µg (600 IU) a day. This value assumes that the skin makes almost no vitamin D. Estonian recommendations for a D3 supplement start at 10 µg (400 IU), and at 20 µg (800 IU) for older people. The EFSA upper level for adults is 100 µg (4000 IU).
| Value | Per day | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Reference value on the pack (NRV) | 5 µg (200 IU) | Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII |
| Estonian recommendation for a D3 supplement, children and adults | from 10 µg (400 IU) | toitumine.ee |
| Adequate intake, adults and children aged 1–17 | 15 µg (600 IU) | EFSA |
| Adequate intake in pregnancy and breastfeeding | 15 µg (600 IU) | EFSA |
| Estonian recommendation for a D3 supplement, older people | from 20 µg (800 IU) | toitumine.ee |
| Upper level, children aged 1–10 | 50 µg (2000 IU) | EFSA |
| Upper level, aged 11 and over and adults, in pregnancy and breastfeeding | 100 µg (4000 IU) | EFSA |
The upper level is counted over everything you take in a day: food, fortified foods and all food supplements together. It is not a limit for capsules alone.
A blood test for 25(OH)D shows your own vitamin D level; discuss the result with a specialist. EFSA takes 50 nmol/l (20 ng/ml) as its reference point.
The 2000 IU capsule (50 µg) leaves 50 µg of room below the EFSA upper level; the 4000 IU capsule (100 µg) leaves none. So for daily use without a blood test the more cautious choice is 2000 IU, and 4000 IU is for when a specialist has named that dose. With either Stivits capsule, take 1 a day.
When 2000 IU suits you. You spend little time in the sun, especially from autumn to spring, and you do not know your vitamin D level. The capsule is 3.3 times the EFSA value of 15 µg and half the upper level, so there is room for vitamin D from food and from a complex. The downside: the dose cannot be split, and every day you get 5 times the minimum in the Estonian recommendations.
When 4000 IU suits you. A specialist has named this dose for you. The capsule gives 100 µg in one intake. The downside: this is exactly the EFSA upper level, with no room for fish, fortified milk or other food supplements.
When D3 in a complex suits you. You want several substances in one tablet. Immuno Support gives 25 µg of D3 with 1000 mg of vitamin C and 15 mg of zinc. Calcium+ Vitamin D3 gives 10 µg of D3 and 900 mg of calcium in 2 tablets. Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones. The downside: you cannot adjust the doses of the substances one by one, and they add up with your other food supplements.
Stivits has products that combine vitamins D and K. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting.
There are two such products. Vitamin K2 100 mcg+D3 4000 UI gives 100 µg of K2 (133% NRV) and 100 µg of D3 in one vegan tablet; one pack lasts 120 days. Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000 mg +D3 +K2 + Vitamin E gives 50 µg of K2 (67% NRV), 50 µg of D3, 330 mg of EPA and 220 mg of DHA in one capsule; one pack lasts 60 days. If you already take D3, K2 is also sold on its own: Vitamin K2 100 mcg, 1 tablet a day, lasts 120 days.
The EU register permits claims for vitamin K about bones and blood clotting.
The downside: the K2+D3 tablet holds the same 100 µg of D3 as the 4000 IU capsule, which is the EFSA upper level. If room below the upper level matters to you, look at the omega-3 capsule and its 50 µg.
Take 1 Stivits vitamin D3 capsule a day with meals. Take it every day; one pack lasts 180 days, enough for a 180-day course. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so the 2000 IU capsule holds it in safflower oil and the 4000 IU capsule in olive oil. The directions do not name a time of day, so pick the meal you will not forget.
EFSA notes that there are few data on how the form of the product affects the absorption of vitamin D, so choose a capsule or a tablet by dose.
Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.
Your circumstances often set the dose: where you live, how old you are, what you eat and which food supplements you already take. These five factors narrow the choice before you start comparing capsules.
For adults EFSA sets 15 µg (600 IU) a day and an upper level of 100 µg (4000 IU) from all sources. At Stivits the D3 2000 IU capsule gives 50 µg and the 4000 IU capsule gives 100 µg. Take either one a day with meals.
Without a blood test the more cautious choice is 2000 IU: the Stivits capsule gives 50 µg and leaves 50 µg of room below the EFSA upper level. The Stivits 4000 IU capsule (100 µg) sits at that level, so take it when a specialist has named that dose.
1 µg of vitamin D equals 40 IU, so 1000 IU is 25 µg, 2000 IU is 50 µg and 4000 IU is 100 µg. Stivits sells these doses in Immuno Support, the D3 2000 IU capsule and the D3 4000 IU capsule.
Yes, Stivits D3 capsules are made for daily intake: 1 capsule a day with meals, and 180 capsules last 180 days. One condition: vitamin D from food and all food supplements together stays within the EFSA upper level of 100 µg (4000 IU) a day. The 2000 IU capsule (50 µg) leaves room; the 4000 IU capsule (100 µg) does not.
With a meal: the directions for the Stivits D3 2000 IU and 4000 IU capsules say 1 capsule a day with meals. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, and the capsules hold it in safflower or olive oil. The directions name no time of day, so pick the meal you will not forget.
Yes, if vitamin D from food and all food supplements together stays within 100 µg (4000 IU) a day. In summer the skin makes vitamin D itself, and EFSA writes that the need from food is then lower or may be zero. Of the Stivits capsules, D3 2000 IU (50 µg) leaves room below the upper level, while the 4000 IU capsule (100 µg) equals it.
D3 (cholecalciferol) is made in the skin under UV-B, and D2 (ergocalciferol) is formed from ergosterol. For the upper level EFSA counts them the same: 1 µg of D3 equals 1 µg of D2. Stivits products contain vitamin D3.
Two Stivits products contain both: a tablet with 100 µg of D3 and 100 µg of K2, and an omega-3 capsule with 50 µg of D3 and 50 µg of K2. The EU register speaks about each vitamin separately. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting. If you take anything that affects blood clotting, discuss any Stivits product with K2 with your doctor first: the Vitamin K2 100 mcg tablet, the K2+D3 tablet (100 µg of each) and the omega-3 capsule with 50 µg of K2.
Oily fish has it: about 10 µg of vitamin D comes from 55 g of cooked Baltic herring or 60 g of cooked mackerel. In Stivits capsules D3 is listed in the composition: Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000 mg +D3 +K2 + Vitamin E gives 50 µg (2000 IU) of D3 in 1 capsule, 1 capsule a day with meals.
At Stivits the highest D3 dose in one capsule or tablet is 4000 IU (100 µg), which is the EFSA upper level for adults. 5000 IU is 125 µg, above that level, and Stivits has no such capsule.
Together that is 125 µg (5000 IU) a day, above the EFSA upper level of 100 µg. Stivits Immuno Support already gives 25 µg of D3. The D3 2000 IU capsule together with it gives 75 µg (3000 IU).
Stivits D3 capsules have no separate directions for children. The EFSA upper level for children aged 1–10 is 50 µg (2000 IU): the 2000 IU capsule (50 µg) equals it and the 4000 IU capsule (100 µg) is above it. A paediatrician decides the dose for a child.
Stivits is a brand of the Estonian company HYPERPHARM OÜ (Tallinn). The supplements are made in Europe, in the EU, in a factory certified to GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000:2018. Stivits sells direct from the factory, with no wholesalers or pharmacies in between. We dispatch your order by the next working day.