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Cholecalciferol is vitamin D3, one of the two main forms of vitamin D found in dietary supplements and foods. Vitamin D3 also forms in skin after ultraviolet light exposure. It is biologically inactive at first and must undergo conversion in the liver and then mainly in the kidneys before reaching its hormonally active form.
read more about cholecalciferol ...After activation, vitamin D promotes intestinal calcium absorption and helps maintain calcium and phosphate concentrations needed for normal bone mineralization. Vitamin D also contributes to bone growth and remodeling. Deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, with impaired mineralization of bone tissue.
The recommended dietary allowance for adults age 19 to 70 is 15 mcg, equal to 600 IU, per day. Adults older than 70 need 20 mcg, equal to 800 IU, per day. These amounts include vitamin D from food, beverages, and dietary supplements. Individual treatment doses for deficiency differ from routine dietary intake.
Low vitamin D status is more common in people with limited sun exposure, older adults, people with darker skin, and those with conditions that reduce fat absorption. Certain medicines also affect vitamin D metabolism. Blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the main laboratory measure used to assess vitamin D status.
Excess vitamin D from supplements can cause high blood calcium, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, confusion, dehydration, excessive urination, thirst, and kidney stones. Severe toxicity can cause kidney failure, soft-tissue calcification, abnormal heart rhythms, and death. The adult upper intake level is 100 mcg, equal to 4000 IU, daily unless treatment is medically supervised.
Yes. Cholecalciferol is vitamin D3.
The recommended dietary allowance is 15 mcg, equal to 600 IU, per day.
The recommended dietary allowance is 20 mcg, equal to 800 IU, per day.
Yes. Excess intake can cause hypercalcemia, kidney stones, kidney injury, abnormal heart rhythms, and other serious toxicity.
Cholecalciferol. PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cholecalciferol. Date Accessed September 22, 2026.
Cholecalciferol. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549768/. Date Accessed September 22, 2026.
Vitamin D - Consumer Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/. Date Accessed September 22, 2026.
Vitamin D - Health Professional Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/. Date Accessed September 22, 2026.
Vitamin D Deficiency. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/vitaminddeficiency.html. Date Accessed September 22, 2026.