Vitamin D is a type of fat-soluble vitamin essential for keeping your bones healthy. Very few foods naturally provide the vitamin D you need, so enjoying a health food drink or beverage fortified with vitamin D is an easy way to boost your vitamin D intake. Talk with your doctor to see if you are consuming adequate amounts of vitamin D or if having a daily health food drink is a good fit for you.
Functions
Vitamin D gains absorbs calcium, resulting in strong bones and teeth. You also need vitamin D to regulate your immune system, support normal neuromuscular function, help with cell growth and minimize abnormal inflammation. Additionally, vitamin D plays a role in gene encoding, which allows cells to differentiate, determining which type of cell they become.
Dosage
Since vitamin D supports so many everyday functions in your body, ingesting your daily recommended dosage is important. As a healthy adult, you need 600 international units, or 15 micrograms of vitamin D. After age 70, as bone health deteriorates, you need 800 international units, or 20 micrograms, says the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Health Food Drinks
Some of the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D include eggs, salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna. Following a vegetarian diet or excluding these foods from your diet limits your vitamin D intake. Many types of health food drinks are fortified with as much as 100-percent of your daily value of vitamin D. Anything from meal replacement drinks for dieting to vitamin and energy drinks supply this beneficial vitamin. Vitamin D in supplements and fortified foods comes in either D2, or ergocalciferol, or D3, also known as cholecalciferol. Your favorite health food drink provides vitamin D in either form, both of which are equally effective and absorbable in your body.
Other Considerations
Pay close attention to how much vitamin D you consume from health food drinks. For example, if your beverage provides 100-percent of your daily value of vitamin D and other nutrients, you should limit your consumption to one drink per day. Too much vitamin D leads to heart arrhythmias, loss of appetite, weight loss and excessive urination. Extremely high vitamin D intakes cause high levels of calcium in your blood, which damages tissues, organs and blood vessels. Avoid having any of these complications by limiting your vitamin D intake to less than 4,000 international units, or 100 micrograms per day, which is the maximum amount your system can handle, notes the Office of Dietary Supplements.
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