Vitamin D Drops vs Pills: Is Liquid Vitamin D Better?

Liquid vitamin D is not stronger than pills, but it is just as effective and easier to dose. When researchers compared vitamin D3 tablets with oil drops at similar daily amounts, blood levels rose by about the same amount with both. What moves the needle more is the form (D3), taking it with a meal that contains some fat, and taking it every day. Here's what studies measured, how drops, tablets, softgels and gummies compare, and how to take vitamin D3 and K2 drops.

Key Takeaways

• In a study of 206 adults, vitamin D3 tablets (1,600 IU a day) and oil drops (1,500 IU a day) raised blood vitamin D by about the same amount.
• A review of the vehicle studies found vitamin D in oil gave a larger rise in blood levels than vitamin D in powder or ethanol.
• Taking vitamin D3 with a meal that contains fat raised peak blood vitamin D3 by 32 percent compared with a fat-free meal.
• Drops make a small daily amount simple and need no swallowing; tablets and softgels are pre-measured and easy to carry.
• Our Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops give 2,000 IU of vegan vitamin D3 and 300 mcg of vitamin K2 (MK-7 and MK-4) in one drop of MCT oil.

Is Liquid Vitamin D Better Than Pills?

For raising blood levels, the research so far points to a tie. Vitamin D is fat soluble, so liquid vitamin D is almost always vitamin D dissolved in an oil, and softgels hold the same kind of oily fill inside a capsule. Tablets and many capsules hold vitamin D in a dry powder.

The choice comes down to how you like to take it. Drops let you take a small amount with no pill to swallow and often have a short ingredient list. Tablets and softgels are pre-measured and travel well. Whichever form you choose, the habits below matter more than the format.

If you are still deciding between forms of the vitamin itself, our guides to vitamin D vs D3 and vegan vitamin D3 from lichen vs lanolin cover that first step.

What Studies Found on Drops, Tablets and Oil

Tablets vs oil drops. A 2020 post-hoc analysis of an observational study followed patients with immunodeficiency whose blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the standard marker of vitamin D status, was below 75 nmol/L. They took vitamin D3 as tablets at 1,600 IU a day or as oil drops at 1,500 IU a day. After 3 to 5 months, levels in the 137 tablet users rose from 52 to 87 nmol/L, and in the 69 drop users from 55 to 86 nmol/L. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant, and the authors concluded the two forms were equally efficient at raising blood levels (Frankling et al., 2020).

Oil vs powder vs ethanol. A systematic review looked for studies that compared the same vitamin D in two different carriers. It found four. In healthy people, vitamin D in an oil vehicle produced a greater rise in 25-hydroxyvitamin D than vitamin D in a powder or ethanol vehicle (Grossmann and Tangpricha, 2010).

Fat in the meal. In a one-day absorption study, 50 healthy older adults took a single 50,000 IU dose of vitamin D3 with either a fat-free breakfast or a breakfast with 30 percent of its calories from fat. Twelve hours later, peak plasma vitamin D3 was 32 percent higher in the groups that ate fat. The type of fat made no significant difference (Dawson-Hughes et al., 2015).

The largest meal. In 17 patients whose vitamin D levels had not responded to supplements, moving the dose to the largest meal of the day raised mean blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D by about 56 percent (Mulligan and Licata, 2010). The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements puts it simply: fat in the gut at the same time enhances vitamin D absorption (NIH ODS, Vitamin D).

Drops vs Tablets vs Softgels vs Gummies

Form	How the vitamin D is carried	Good for	What to check
Oil drops	Dissolved in an oil such as MCT oil	No swallowing, small daily amounts, short ingredient lists	IU per drop, drops per bottle, other ingredients
Softgels	Oil fill inside a gelatin or plant shell	Pre-measured, portable	Shell material if you avoid animal products
Tablets and capsules	Dry powder with binders or fillers	Pre-measured, long shelf life	Take with a meal that has some fat
Gummies	Mixed into a sweetened chew	People who dislike pills	Added sugars per serving and how many gummies make a serving

The 2020 comparison above tested tablets against oil drops; the last two columns describe the formats themselves.

Why Vitamin D3 and K2 Often Come Together in Drops

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut (NIH ODS, Vitamin D). Vitamin K is the cofactor that activates calcium-binding proteins such as osteocalcin in bone, so the two vitamins work on the same job. Both are fat soluble, which makes an oil drop a natural way to carry them together. Our guide to vitamin D3 and K2 covers the pairing in depth.

The two common forms of K2 behave differently. In a study that compared vitamin K1 with natto-derived MK-7, both peaked in the blood about 4 hours after intake, but MK-7 had a very long half-life and built up to 7 to 8 times higher levels with daily intake (Schurgers et al., 2007). MK-4 is the short-chain form that animal tissues make from vitamin K1. See vitamin K2: MK-4 vs MK-7 and our vitamin K2 ingredient page for the details.

How to Take Vitamin D Drops

1. Follow the label serving. For our drops that is 1 drop a day. Do not take more unless your healthcare practitioner tells you to.
2. Take it with a meal that contains some fat. Breakfast with eggs, yogurt or avocado, or lunch with olive oil, all work. The drop carries its own oil, and the meal adds more.
3. Place it in your mouth or on food. A drop on the tongue or on a spoonful of food is the simplest way to get the full amount.
4. Keep the same time each day. Linking it to a regular meal makes it easy to remember.
5. Store it well. Keep the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dark place.

Timing questions, such as morning or night, are covered in vitamin D3 supplement: benefits, dosage and how to take it. If you also take magnesium, see vitamin D and magnesium.

How to Read a Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops Label

• Amount per drop. Vitamin D is listed in mcg and IU; 1 mcg equals 40 IU, so 50 mcg is 2,000 IU.
• Percent Daily Value. It is based on 20 mcg of vitamin D and 120 mcg of vitamin K.
• Which K2. Look for MK-7, MK-4 or both, named with amounts.
• Drops per bottle. This tells you how long a bottle lasts at one drop a day.
• Other ingredients. A short list, such as the carrier oil alone, is easy to check.
• Source of D3. D3 from lichen is vegan; D3 from lanolin comes from sheep's wool.

For the adult reference amounts, the NIH lists a Recommended Dietary Allowance of 15 mcg (600 IU) a day from age 19 to 70 and 20 mcg (800 IU) after 70, and an upper limit of 100 mcg (4,000 IU) a day for adults (NIH ODS, Vitamin D). The Adequate Intake for vitamin K is 90 to 120 mcg a day for adults, and no upper limit is set (NIH ODS, Vitamin K). Our vitamin D3 ingredient page and how to read a supplement label go further, and all our ingredient guides are in one place.

For a full checklist, see our guide to how to choose the best vitamin D3 and K2 supplement.

Who Should Check First

Blood thinners. Vitamin K can have a serious and potentially dangerous interaction with anticoagulants such as warfarin (NIH ODS, Vitamin K). Researchers have advised that 50 mcg a day or more of MK-7 may interfere with oral anticoagulant treatment (Schurgers et al., 2007). If you take one, talk with your healthcare practitioner before starting or stopping any vitamin K2 product.

Other cases. Ask your healthcare practitioner first if you are pregnant or nursing, have a medical condition, or take prescription medicine. Count every source of vitamin D you take, including multivitamins, so your total stays within the upper limit.

Our Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops

Our Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops are made in house. Each drop gives:

Per drop	Amount
Vitamin D3 (vegan, from lichen)	50 mcg (2,000 IU)
Vitamin K2 as MK-7	200 mcg
Vitamin K2 as MK-4	100 mcg
Other ingredients	MCT oil (from coconut)

That is 300 mcg of vitamin K2 in total per drop. A bottle holds about 180 drops, which lasts about 6 months at 1 drop a day, and the price is $39. The drops are vegan, gluten free, non GMO, soy free and dairy free, with no fillers, flow agents, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and they are made with third-party tested ingredients. Take 1 drop daily with a meal that contains some fat, in your mouth or on food. The drops support calcium absorption, bone health and normal immune function.

To round out the routine, our Vitamin D Cofactor Capsules, with magnesium, zinc and boron made to pair with the drops, are coming soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is liquid vitamin D better than pills?

Not for raising blood levels. Tablets and oil drops at similar daily amounts raised 25-hydroxyvitamin D by about the same amount (Frankling et al., 2020). Drops are easier to take for people who dislike pills.

Do vitamin D drops need to be taken with food?

It helps. Peak blood vitamin D3 was 32 percent higher when it was taken with a meal containing fat than with a fat-free meal (Dawson-Hughes et al., 2015).

How many IU are in one drop of vitamin D?

It depends on the product, so read the label. Each drop of our Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops gives 50 mcg (2,000 IU) of vitamin D3.

Is 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day too much?

For adults, the NIH upper limit is 4,000 IU (100 mcg) a day from all sources (NIH ODS). Add up every product you take, and ask your healthcare practitioner if you are unsure.

Why do some vitamin D drops include K2?

Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium, and vitamin K activates the proteins that bind it. Both are fat soluble, so they mix well in one oil drop.

How long does a bottle of D3 + K2 drops last?

Ours holds about 180 drops, so about 6 months at 1 drop a day.

Can I take vitamin D3 + K2 drops with a blood thinner?

Talk with your healthcare practitioner first. Vitamin K can interact with anticoagulants such as warfarin (NIH ODS).

Are vitamin D drops vegan?

Only if the D3 comes from lichen and the carrier is plant based. Ours uses vegan D3 from lichen in MCT oil from coconut. See vegan vitamin D3.

Sources

1. Frankling MH, Norlin AC, Hansen S, Wahren Borgström E, Bergman P, Björkhem-Bergman L. Are vitamin D3 tablets and oil drops equally effective in raising S-25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations? A post-hoc analysis of an observational study on immunodeficient patients. Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1230. doi:10.3390/nu12051230 (PMID 32357579)
2. Grossmann RE, Tangpricha V. Evaluation of vehicle substances on vitamin D bioavailability: a systematic review. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010;54(8):1055-1061. PMID 20425758
3. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Lichtenstein AH, Dolnikowski G, Palermo NJ, Rasmussen H. Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(2):225-230. PMID 25441954
4. Mulligan GB, Licata A. Taking vitamin D with the largest meal improves absorption and results in higher serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. J Bone Miner Res. 2010. PMID 20200983
5. Schurgers LJ, Teunissen KJ, Hamulýak K, Knapen MH, Vik H, Vermeer C. Vitamin K-containing dietary supplements: comparison of synthetic vitamin K1 and natto-derived menaquinone-7. Blood. 2007;109(8):3279-3283. PMID 17158229
6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
7. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin K: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.