Micronutrients Vitamin D supplementation in deficient adults reliably raises serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and improves measured bone outcomes when combined with adequate calcium. The largest trial in this space, VITAL, did not find that 2,000 IU/day vitamin D3 reduced cardiovascular events or invasive cancer in a generally replete US adult population, although secondary analyses have suggested benefit in specific subgroups. Routine dosing of 800 to 2,000 IU/day is supportable for adults at risk of inadequacy; doses above 4,000 IU/day are not supported by hard-endpoint data outside specific clinical indications. Serum 25(OH)D measurement remains the only reliable individualization tool.
Apr 26, 2026
Micronutrients Magnesium oxide, citrate, glycinate (bisglycinate), and malate differ measurably in fractional absorption and gastrointestinal tolerability. Oxide is poorly absorbed (roughly 4 percent in the cited bioavailability work) and frequently cathartic at therapeutic doses. Citrate, glycinate, and malate are absorbed several-fold more efficiently. The choice of form is consequential for individuals with documented hypomagnesemia, for those using magnesium for migraine prophylaxis, and for those whose primary tolerance constraint is loose stool. For individuals supplementing within normal daily requirements, the per-dose differences are real but the total elemental magnesium delivered remains the dominant variable.
Apr 25, 2026
Micronutrients National survey data from the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European cohorts consistently show that adult intake of vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and dietary fiber falls below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) in a substantial fraction of the population. Effect sizes are population-dependent. The most robust deficiencies — vitamin D in temperate latitudes, magnesium in low-fiber diets — are also the ones with the strongest mechanistic and clinical evidence. This article summarizes the adequacy data and the limits of self-reported dietary intake as a measurement instrument.
Apr 24, 2026