Designs For Health has been in the healthcare industry since 1989 and Vitamin D Supreme has been available since at least 2011. Vitamin D Supreme is a multivitamin supplement with D3, K1, K2, and an equal number of inactive ingredients. Each bottle comes with 180 pills which comes out to a six month supply, considering that the daily dosage is 1 pill per day.
We were happy to see that this product is manufactured in the USA and has GMP certification but it’s ultimately the formula that gets you the results, so does this product have what it takes?
Is Designs For Health Vitamin D Supreme Effective?
Designs For Health is a well-known supplement brand and therefore we had certain expectations regarding their Vitamin D product. We expected to see 125 mcg of Vitamin D3 and were not disappointed. However, Designs For Health didn’t manage to fully satisfy our expectation when it came to the K element of this multivitamin. We expected to find K2 MK-7 in a dosage of 180mcg but there is only 50 mcg and 500 mcg of K1. While K1 might have been popular in the past we now have more data on the roles of K1 and K2. K1 mainly plays a role in blood clotting whereas K2 is more involved with calcium and bone health. We were disappointed to see that the Designs For Health site doesn’t justify the inclusion of K1 at the expense of a higher dosage of K2. Additionally, we would have liked to see how active the K2 is, but the % of trans is not disclosed and we weren’t able to determine how effective the K2 really is.
Nevertheless, we did find that the majority of customers who wrote reviews were satisfied with this product. Afterall, it does contain the recommended dosage of D3. However, we’re not convinced this is the most effective or best crafted Vitamin D supplement. It doesn’t have the optimal dosage of K2 and it doesn’t have a bioavailability enhancer to ensure that your body absorbs the maximum amount of nutrients from each pill. We also believe that it would be better to take the dosage in two pills, spaced out throughout the day for maintaining vitamin levels around the clock, instead of taking one dose of 125 mcg of Vitamin D3 all at the same time.
Is Designs For Health Vitamin D Supreme Safe?
In general, this product is marketed as natural and safe. There are no mentioned side effects and it is made in accordance with the standard GMP practices. That said, Designs For Health has a warning in place that you should consult with your health care practitioner first if you take any anticoagulant medications. As a general rule, it is always recommended to speak to your doctor before taking any new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have any health conditions, or are taking other medications.
Summary
Designs For Health had an interesting design for their Vitamin D supplement. While the Vitamin D dosage was standard, the K formulation was a unique blend of K1 and K2 that left us with some questions. It doesn’t contain any bioavailability enhancer so while it may be effective, there is room for improvement.
We like that Vitamin D Supreme is made in accordance with the GMP guidelines but think there are a few other guidelines that should have been followed. For example, we would have appreciated more transparency regarding the ingredients; specifically the percentage of trans that the K2 is. We also would have liked to see a satisfaction guarantee, as this displays the manufacturer’s belief in their product’s ability. All in all, we consider this an effective Vitamin D3 supplement but it could have been better.
