Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I would like to increase my vitamin D intake to approximately 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily. The labels on fish oil are confusing. Is DHA the same as vitamin D? What is a good fish oil product I can take to get this amount of vitamin D? I prefer to take tablets if possible.” —Rachel D, Indianapolis, IN A. Dear Rachel, There is no vitamin D in fish oil, which is typically from the whole body of the fish. There is some vitamin D in cod liver oil, which is oil just from the fish liver. DHA and vitamin D are not the same. DHA is short for docosahexaenoic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid which is found in fish. Vitamin D is, of course, a vitamin (or more accurately, a pro-hormone). The primary way the body naturally gets vitamin D is by producing it after exposure to sunlight. That is why it is often called “the sunshine vitamin.” But research is showing that most of us are not producing optimal amounts of vitamin D and taking an additional vitamin D supplement is a great idea. I think you need both omega fatty acids (including DHA) AND vitamin D for best health. There are many vitamin D products out there with 1,000 – 2,000 IUs per capsule or tablet. To get the omega-3 fatty acids you need, I recommend a product from salmon bound to phospholipids. This will give you the best absorption of these important nutrients in an easy to take tablet. Just one or two per day is all you need, since the EPA and DHA in this form can absorb up to 50 times better than fish oil.