Getting Vitamin D into your blood and cells

Created August 2014

Summary by Claude Sonnet AI - Feb 2025

This image shows a comprehensive flow chart explaining how Vitamin D is processed and utilized in the human body.

Let me break it down systematically:

The chart starts at the top by identifying the main sources and products of Vitamin D, which come through three primary pathways:

Direct absorption through sun exposure (UVB rays), topical application, or sublingual supplements that enter through the skin or mouth
Water-dispersible supplements that can be inhaled through the lungs/nose or injected into muscle/abdomen
Fat-soluble sources from food (particularly wild fatty fish and organ meats) that enter through the gut and lymph system

All these pathways lead to Calciferol in the blood, which is the first major checkpoint in Vitamin D processing. The chart then shows how this Calciferol can be transformed into two main metabolites:
First , it becomes Calcidiol (25(OH)D), which is what doctors typically measure in blood tests. This can come from:
Direct cell activation (not involving liver or kidneys)
Calcidiol supplements through the gut or injection
Liver processing
Second , it can become Calcitriol (1,25(OH)₂D), which is the fully activated form. This comes from:
Herb/pill supplements through the gut or injection
Kidney processing
Production by microphages and nearby cells
The bottom of the chart shows how all these forms ultimately interact with Vitamin D receptors in cells.
There are also several important storage points shown, including
- skeletal muscle,
- fat tissue, and
- transfer pathways to breast milk and through the placenta.
An interesting detail the chart emphasizes is that Vitamin D activation can occur through multiple pathways - not just the traditionally taught liver/kidney route, but also through direct cellular activation, which is shown in separate boxes to highlight this important point.
The chart was created by Vitamin D Life in February 2025, and includes a shortened URL for reference.

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From supplements

Standard forms: Low cost and quick

A huge number of suppliers sell Vitamin D3 in 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, and 50,000 IU dose sizes

Forms: capsules, tablets, and gel caps.

Typically the higher doses have a lower cost per IU

Typically from 2 to 10 cents per 5,000 IU

Note: Should avoid getting more than 500 mg of daily Calcium

Other forms: often less than 20 cents per day

Sublingual: many brands

Topical Vitamin D such as nanoemulsons

Liquid Oil – in mouth, 1 drop typically contains 400 IU, 1,000 IU, or 4,000 IU, and typically does not taste good - Oil can also be used topically

Fat-soluble Vitamins go thru the slow lymph system

Note Some olive oils decrease vitamin D absorption by 25 percent – March 2016

Note: most of the non-coconut oils are not digestible by infants

Spray – under tongue, in cheek – fast acting

If poorly functioning gut

Bio-D-Mulsion Forte – especially made for those with poorly functioning guts, or perhaps lacking gallbladder

Sublingual – goes directly into the bloodstream

Fat-soluble Vitamins go thru the slow lymph system

you can make your own sublingual by dissolving Vitamin D in water or use nano form

Oil: 1 drop typically contains 400 IU, 1,000 IU, or 4,000 IU, typically not taste good

Topical – goes directly into the bloodstream. Put oil on your skin, Use Aloe vera cream with Vitamin D, or make your own

Vaginal – goes directly into the bloodstream. Prescription-only?

#Bio-Tech_Pharmacal|Bio-Tech might be useful – it is also water-soluble

Vitamin D sprayed inside cheeks (buccal spray) - several studies

and, those people with malabsorption problems had a larger response to spray

Inject Vitamin D quarterly into muscle, into vein, or perhaps into body cavity if quickly needed

Nanoparticles could be used to increase vitamin D getting to the gut – Oct 2015

Poor guts need different forms of vitamin D has the following

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If dislike swallowing pills

Bio-Tech – capsule contains tasteless water-soluble powder: pour into meal, drink, or on the tongue

Oil: 1 drop typically contains 400 IU, 1,000 IU, or 4,000 IU, typically not taste very good

Spray 1000 - 5,000 IU per spray - fairly expensive

Topica: Put oil on your skin, Use Aloe vera cream with Vitamin D, or make your own

Sublingual vitamin D

Vitamin D sprayed inside cheeks (buccal spray) - several studies

Inject Vitamin D quarterly

Fast-acting forms

Vitamin D going thru the gut takes about a day to become activated

Fast-acting Vitamin D takes about 4 hours to become activated

Fast-acting is needed for medical emergencies, treating cold, treating flu, etc,

Topical - cream, spray, oil on skin
Sublingual vitamin D
Mouth-wash - put powder of 50,000 IU capsules in 1/4 teaspoon of water
- Swallow when done - after a few minutes
- Alternately - use Nanoemulsion form as a mouthwash
Inhaled - via lungs
Semi-activated Vitamin D
- is fast, but slight over-dosing might cause Calcium problems

If tend to forget – this is also the very lowest cost and time

Bio-Tech -capsule contains water-soluble powder which can be used for home fortification

Just one 50,000 IU is enough for 1 healthy person for 2 weeks – costs less than 2 cents/day

Put a note/colored dot on the calendar to take once every two weeks or more frequently

Can buy Vitamin D as bulk powder – and do you own home fortification. This lowers the price from 2 cents per day to less than 1 cent per day.

Inject Vitamin D quarterly

If concerned about possible allergic reaction

Bio-Tech – contains no dyes, preservatives, oils, etc.

If Halal or Kosher restriction

Bio-Tech capsules are not made from pigs

No sheep were killed or harmed to make Bio-Tech Vitamin D

If Vegetarian

3 companies sell fairly inexpensive Vitamin D3 from PLANTS

Vitamin D3 is much better than Vitamin D2 In some cases D2 actually reduced the level of D3

No sheep were killed or harmed to make Bio-Tech capsules

From the sun: takes time, no cost, probably the best way, only available part of the year

Get benefits of sun with minimal clothing, in the middle of day, during summer

How many minutes of sun do I need – age, skin color, UV index – Nov 2014

Maximize vitamin D for time spent in the good sun, and minimize skin problems

Optimize vitamin D from the sun

Wear less clothing

Use a rarely available type of sunscreen which only blocks UVA (tanning) and not UVB (vitamin D)

Suntan oils effectively have a negative SPF should increase both tanning and vitamin D production by about 30%

They are basically mineral oils which reduce the light scattered by the skin

Maximize Vitamin D rate while being socially acceptable

T-shirts, Polo-shirts, Shorts made from patented cloth which blocks only half of the UV rays

Can't use the sun when:

Concerned about skin aging, skin cancer

Never remain in the sun long enough that you burn, or even redden = skin damage

Elderly Skin generates much less Vitamin D

When the sun is TOO hot

It appears to be possible to make silver-coat a plexiglass “window”

that only passes UVB: no UVA, visible, nor heat. Not commercially available still as of 2024

When there is not enough sun - uness use reflectors to concentrate it

From UV

Vitamin D lamp 1 cent per hour

UV better than oral for various diseases

UVB added in classroom reduced cavities, increased height, increased academics. etc

Vitamin D from the sun/UV with minimal darkening of skin

Good description of Discrimination based on skin color WikiPedia

skin bleaching was a $28 billion/year market in 2008. Many women want lighter, not darker skin

UVB (vitamin D) without UVA (tanning) – Note: virtually all tanning equipment has a LOT of UVA

Special Window – passes only UVB, not tanning rays

From food

Vitamin D from food is expensive (over 100 times more expensive than from supplements)

Wild caught fish – especially Salmon

Meat has 6X more vitamin D than previously reported

More effective vitamin D in meat - processed by animal liver

Commercial fortification does not provide much.

Fortified food rarely provides more than 100 IU per serving

Should avoid cod-liver oil containing too much Vitamin A, which restricts Vitamin D

Vitamin A category items along with related searches

If poorly functioning Liver

Inhaled (if poor gut, liver, or perhaps lung problems)

Vitamin D Life started investigating late 2016

The lungs have been proven to convert Vitamin D into Calcidiol locally

The 90 square meters of lung surface area may prove to be an excellent way to get vitamin D into the body

Inhaled vitamin D may reduce breathing problems: many tissues can directly activate Vitamin D (no liver nor kidney needed)

From Breast Milk

Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Vitamin D - July 2023 FREE PDF
Different Vitamin D Supplementation Strategies in the First Years of Life: A Systematic Review - Jun 2022 FREE PDF
Breastfeeding and vitamin D - Dec 2021 FREE PDF