Pure Vitamin D in the UK: Pure Encapsulations D3, Drops and Tablets Compared

Reviewed and updated: 3 November 2026

Pure Vitamins UK is an independent British brand. We are not connected to, endorsed by or affiliated with Pure Encapsulations, Nutravita or their owners. Pure Encapsulations and Nutravita are trademarks of their respective owners and are named here only to identify the products compared.

Pure vitamin D, in the way most UK shoppers search for it, usually means one of two things: the Pure Encapsulations range of vitamin D3, or simply a vitamin D supplement with nothing unnecessary added. In this guide I compare Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 capsules and Vitamin D3 Liquid, a popular UK vitamin D3 drops product from Nutravita, and our own Vitamin D3 + K2 tablets, side by side on dose, format, price per day and what is actually in each one.

I'm Dr. Miron, founder of Pure Vitamins UK. We make one of the products in this comparison, so I've kept to facts you can check yourself, with links to every page I used, and I'll tell you honestly where another option may suit you better.

Pure vitamin D: the quick answer

• NHS starting point: everyone in the UK is advised to consider 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D a day during autumn and winter, and adults should not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) a day.
• Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 capsules: 1,000 IU per vegetarian capsule, 120 capsules for £29.70, about 25p a day at one capsule.
• Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 Liquid: 1,000 IU per drop in MCT oil, 22.5 ml for £18.99 at the UK retailer we checked.
• Nutravita Vitamin D3 drops: 1,000 IU per drop, 2,000 drops for £12.99, well under 1p a day.
• Our Vitamin D3 + K2 tablets: 4,000 IU D3 plus 100 micrograms K2 (MK-7) in one tablet, 30 tablets for £12.42, about 41p a day. This is a higher-strength, two-nutrient product, so it is not a like-for-like swap for a 1,000 IU D3-only product.

Our pick for this guide

Want vitamin D3 and K2 together in one daily tablet?

Each tablet provides 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 from lichen with 100 micrograms of vitamin K2 as MK-7. A food supplement, not a replacement for medical advice.

From £12.42 · 30 tablets

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What do people mean by "pure vitamin D"?

When someone types "pure vitamin D" into Google, they are usually after one of three things. Some are looking for the Pure Encapsulations brand specifically, often because a practitioner recommended it. Some want a single-ingredient product: just vitamin D3 and a carrier, with no added minerals or herbs. And some mean a clean label, with no colours, flavours or fillers they don't recognise.

It helps to be clear about what a vitamin D product actually contains. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is used in tiny amounts, measured in micrograms, so every product needs a carrier. In capsules and tablets that is usually a plant fibre such as microcrystalline cellulose. In drops it is an oil, most often medium chain triglycerides (MCT) from coconut. So "pure" in practice means a short ingredient list, not D3 on its own.

Our Vitamin D3 + K2 tablets are a deliberate two-nutrient formula, so they are not a single-ingredient product. If a short, D3-only list is what matters most to you, the Pure Encapsulations capsules or a plain drops product will match that better, and I've said so in the verdict below.

The products side by side

Here is what each product's own page, or the UK retailer listing where the brand does not sell that item directly, said when I checked on 3 November 2026. I have only included facts I could see on a live page today.

At a glance:

• Lowest cost per day: the Nutravita drops, by a wide margin, at 1,000 IU a day.
• Most flexible dosing in capsules: Pure Encapsulations, because one 1,000 IU capsule lets you take anything from 1,000 to 4,000 IU.
• Only option here with vitamin K2: our D3 + K2 tablet, at a single higher dose of 4,000 IU.
• No swallowing needed: either drops product.

How much vitamin D do you actually need?

This is the question I'd answer before comparing any brand. The UK government's advisers (SACN) set a reference intake of 10 micrograms (400 IU) a day for everyone aged 4 and over, and the NHS says everyone should consider a daily 10 microgram supplement in autumn and winter, when UK sunshine is too weak for the skin to make much. Some groups, including people who are rarely outdoors and people with darker skin, are advised to consider it all year.

The safe upper limit for adults is 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) a day, set by EFSA and used by the NHS. That limit is about total intake from all supplements combined, not per product.

So all four products here sit above the 400 IU baseline. A 1,000 IU product is a modest step up that plenty of people choose. Our 4,000 IU tablet is at the adult upper limit on its own, which is why I'd only use it if you are not taking another vitamin D product, a multivitamin with D, or a high-dose prescription from your GP. If you've had a blood test and been given a specific dose, follow that rather than any brand's label.

Drops, capsules or tablets: which format makes sense?

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so all three formats are best taken with a meal that contains some fat. A systematic review of how the "vehicle" affects vitamin D found that oil-based forms tended to raise blood levels a little more than powder-based ones in some studies, but the results were mixed and the differences modest. Taking it consistently, with food, matters more than the format.

• Drops suit anyone who dislikes swallowing tablets, and make small dose changes easy. The trade-off is that you need to count drops carefully, and a dropper bottle is easier to lose track of than a pack of tablets.
• Capsules give a fixed dose that is easy to remember, and with 1,000 IU capsules you can take more than one if advised.
• Tablets are compact and stable, and allow two nutrients to be combined in one dose, as in our D3 + K2.

All three products in this comparison use vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) rather than D2. A systematic review and meta-analysis led by UK researchers found that D3 raised blood vitamin D levels more effectively than D2, which is one reason D3 has become the usual choice.

Why we pair vitamin D3 with K2

Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, and to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and to normal blood clotting. We put the two together because many people who look for one ask about the other, and one tablet is simpler than two.

K2 is not something you must take with vitamin D. Plenty of people take D3 on its own, and the NHS advice is about vitamin D only. If you take warfarin or another vitamin K antagonist blood thinner, do not start a product containing vitamin K without speaking to your GP or anticoagulation clinic first, because changes in vitamin K intake can affect how those medicines work. In that situation a D3-only product, such as the Pure Encapsulations capsules or a plain D3 drop, is the more sensible choice.

If you want D3 without K2 from us, we also make Vitamin D3 1000 IU tablets.

Comparing price per day fairly

Price per pack can be misleading because the packs last different lengths of time, so here is the arithmetic on today's prices:

• Nutravita drops: £12.99 ÷ 2,000 drops = £0.0065, about 0.65p a day at 1,000 IU.
• Pure Encapsulations capsules: £29.70 ÷ 120 = £0.2475, about 25p a day at 1,000 IU, or about 99p at 4,000 IU.
• Our D3 + K2: £12.42 ÷ 30 = £0.414, about 41p a day for 4,000 IU D3 plus 100 µg K2.
• Pure Encapsulations Liquid: £18.99 for 22.5 ml; the drop count is not stated on the listing, so I have not worked out a daily cost.

Delivery matters for small orders too. Pure Encapsulations charges £4.49 under £50, the Healf listing offers free UK delivery over £50, Nutravita offers free shipping over £30, and we offer free UK delivery over £25.

Which one suits you?

Each of these products fits a different person, and I'd rather you buy the right one than ours by default.

• Choose Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 capsules if you want a short, D3-only ingredient list in a vegetarian capsule, if you like the option of taking 1,000 to 4,000 IU depending on advice, or if a practitioner has recommended this brand to you.
• Choose a drops product, such as Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 Liquid or Nutravita drops, if you prefer not to swallow tablets or want the lowest daily cost. The Nutravita drops are the cheapest per day of anything here.
• Choose our Vitamin D3 + K2 tablets if you specifically want D3 and K2 together in one daily tablet, you are comfortable with a 4,000 IU daily dose, and you are not taking any other vitamin D or a vitamin K antagonist blood thinner.
• Choose a lower-dose D3-only product if you simply want to follow the NHS 10 microgram autumn and winter advice.

If a doctor, dietitian or other practitioner recommended a particular product or dose, please check with them before switching.

Getting vitamin D from food

Food alone rarely provides enough vitamin D in a UK winter, but it still counts. The richest everyday sources are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring, along with egg yolks, red meat and liver, and fortified foods like some breakfast cereals and fat spreads. Liver is high in vitamin A, so it should be avoided in pregnancy. Mushrooms exposed to UV light contain some vitamin D2.

A few cautions worth knowing

• Do not exceed 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day from all supplements combined unless your doctor has told you to.
• If you take warfarin or another vitamin K antagonist, speak to your GP before taking any product that contains vitamin K.
• Some people should not take vitamin D supplements without medical advice, including people with high blood calcium, kidney disease or sarcoidosis, and anyone on medicines such as thiazide diuretics or digoxin.
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, the NHS advice is 10 micrograms a day; ask your midwife or GP before using a higher-strength product.
• Keep all vitamin D products out of reach of children; children's doses are much lower than adult products.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pure Vitamins the same company as Pure Encapsulations?

No. Pure Vitamins UK is an independent British brand. We are not connected to, endorsed by or affiliated with Pure Encapsulations or its owner. We name their products only so you can compare them.

Is 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 too much?

4,000 IU (100 micrograms) is the upper daily limit for adults set by EFSA and used by the NHS. It is not meant to be combined with other vitamin D supplements. The general NHS advice is 10 micrograms (400 IU) a day in autumn and winter.

Should I choose vitamin D drops or tablets?

Research on oil-based and powder-based forms is mixed and the differences are modest. Drops suit people who prefer not to swallow tablets; tablets and capsules give a fixed dose that is easy to remember. Either way, take it with a meal.

Do I need to take K2 with vitamin D?

No. Vitamin D can be taken on its own, and NHS advice covers vitamin D only. Some people choose a combined D3 and K2 product for convenience. Anyone on warfarin should avoid starting vitamin K without medical advice.

Which is cheapest per day?

On prices checked on 3 November 2026, the Nutravita 1,000 IU drops worked out at about 0.65p a day, Pure Encapsulations 1,000 IU capsules about 25p a day, and our 4,000 IU D3 + K2 tablets about 41p a day.

Keep reading

• Our buyer's guide to vitamin D3 and K2 supplements in the UK
• Vitamin D in a UK winter and how to choose a supplement
• Is it good to take 1000 IU of vitamin D3 daily?
• Vitamin D3 vs D2 explained
• When to take vitamin D3 and K2
• Pure Encapsulations B12 and B Complex compared
• UK alternatives to Pure Encapsulations: all our comparisons
• All supplement guides

Our pick for this guide

Prefer one simple tablet for D3 and K2?

4,000 IU of vitamin D3 from lichen plus 100 micrograms of vitamin K2 as MK-7, one tablet a day. A food supplement, not a replacement for medical advice.

From £12.42 · 30 tablets

Shop Vitamin D3 + K2 →

Where these facts come from

• Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 1000 IU, 120 capsules, £29.70, delivery terms: pure-encapsulations.co.uk (checked 3 November 2026)
• Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 Liquid 22.5 ml, £18.99, delivery terms: Healf UK listing (checked 3 November 2026)
• Nutravita Vitamin D3 1000iu, 2,000 drops, £12.99, delivery terms: nutravita.com (checked 3 November 2026)
• Pure Vitamins Vitamin D3 + K2 Tablets, £12.42: our product page (checked 3 November 2026)

Sources

• NHS. Vitamin D. nhs.uk
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2016). Vitamin D and Health. gov.uk
• EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2012). Scientific Opinion on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of vitamin D. EFSA Journal 10(7):2813. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2813
• Grossmann RE, Tangpricha V (2010). Evaluation of vehicle substances on vitamin D bioavailability: a systematic review. Mol Nutr Food Res 54(8):1055-61. PubMed 20425758
• Tripkovic L et al. (2012). Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 95(6):1357-64. PubMed 22552031
• Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. gov.uk

Dr. Miron, Founder of Pure Vitamins UK

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Always speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking a supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. Prices and product details for other brands were checked on 3 November 2026 and may change.