Key takeaways
- Vitamin D3 (colecalciferol) is one of the two main forms of vitamin D, alongside ergocalciferol (D2). It is the form your skin makes from sunlight, and its main job is helping your body absorb calcium from food.
- Most Australians meet their vitamin D needs from sun exposure. Even in a sunny climate, levels here vary with the seasons.
- Hoola delivers 25 mcg of colecalciferol per 10 g serve, which is 1,000 IU. We publish the figure per gram and per serve.
- D2 is considered less potent than D3. Vitashine keeps our vegan formula on colecalciferol.
- One 10 g scoop in cold water each morning. Vitamin D is fat soluble, so it absorbs more easily alongside high-fat foods such as avocado.
What is vitamin D3, and what does it do in the body?
Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is the form of vitamin D your own skin produces when you are exposed to sunlight. There are two main forms of vitamin D: ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3). D3 is the one your body makes for itself.
Think of vitamin D as the doorman for calcium. Calcium can arrive in your food all it likes, but it needs someone to let it through the wall of your gut. That is the job. Vitamin D's major function in humans is keeping serum calcium at the right level by improving how well the small intestine absorbs calcium from the diet. In plain terms, vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the food you eat.
The calcium then goes somewhere useful. Vitamin D keeps blood calcium at supersaturating levels, so it is deposited in bone as calcium hydroxyapatite. Vitamin D also helps you absorb phosphorus from your diet, though blood phosphorus is not tightly regulated and shifts with supply and the kidney's excretory threshold. It earned the nickname sunshine vitamin, and it plays a key role in a number of important functions in the body.
Why does vitamin D3 matter on the kind of day you are having?
Because your day is mostly indoors, and your skin is the factory. Most Australians meet their vitamin D needs from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D status across the population is generally maintained by sunlight. Deadlines, emails, workouts, and, oh yes, life. The sun does not always get a look in.
Then the seasons move. Despite the sunny climate, vitamin D levels in Australia vary seasonally. Seasonal change has a significant effect on how much cholecalciferol your skin makes. In winter at temperate latitudes, the atmosphere absorbs solar UV light in the 290 to 320 nm range. People also spend less time outdoors and wear more clothing. With changing seasons, family to support and work to do, many Australians struggle to get their vitamin D, and an estimated 30% of Australians are considered deficient.
We do not chase intensity or burnout. We support regulated energy, clear thinking and capability that lasts. A steady daily amount of D3 fits that idea neatly, because it does not depend on whether you made it outside at lunchtime.
What form and dose of vitamin D3 is in Hoola?
Colecalciferol (vitamin D3, Vitashine) at 2.5 mcg per gram, which is 25 mcg per 10 g serve, or 1,000 IU. It supports calcium absorption, bone strength, muscle and immune function.
We are transparent about what is inside. Every ingredient is delivered at a clinically efficacious dose, and every quantity is published. Every per-serve figure is the per-gram figure times ten, and both are printed. Vitamin D3 25 mcg = 0.025 mg, which is 1,000 IU.
Hoola is a Listed Medicine on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, AUST L 508472, with an ARTG start date of 8 August 2025 and Hoola Australia Pty Ltd as sponsor. The certificate lists all 27 active ingredients with exact quantities per gram. Anyone can look up AUST L 508472 on the public ARTG register and check every number.
Dose accuracy in this category is well policed here. The TGA tested 13 of the top-selling single-ingredient vitamin D3 products in Australia from January to December 2023, supplied by nine different sponsors. All of them met the relevant quality standard for active ingredient content. Every one of the 13 highest-selling products complied with the regulator's requirements for active ingredient content.
Why did Hoola choose Vitashine vegan D3 over other forms?
Because we wanted the more potent form without an animal source. Vitashine is a vegan vitamin D3, and we pair it with Lyc-O-Beta plant-source beta-carotene.
The two forms are not interchangeable. D3 (cholecalciferol) is produced by the action of sunlight on skin, while D2 (ergocalciferol) is found in a limited range of foods. D2 comes from plant sources. It is also derived from fungi and used in some supplements. And D2 is considered less potent than D3.
Vitamin D3 is sensitive to air, heat and light, which can affect its stability, so the ingredient choice and the manufacturing standard both matter. Hoola uses active and bioavailable forms wherever possible, in line with Australian quality manufacturing standards. The whole formula is vegan, sugar free, gluten free and naturally flavoured, with no artificial fillers. No proprietary blends. Doses disclosed.
How does vitamin D3 fit the rest of the Hoola formula?
It works with the other bone and immune nutrients in the scoop rather than sitting on its own. Hoola is designed as a single, balanced daily dose, not a collection of separate supplements, and the value sits in how the ingredients work together.
Vitamin D3 supports calcium absorption, bone strength, muscle and immune function. Vitamin K2 supports bone and cardiovascular health. Manganese supports bone formation. Zinc supports immune function, skin health, taste and smell. Small but mighty, and pulling in the same direction: maintain and support bone health, strength and density, maintain and support muscle function and muscle health, and maintain and support healthy immune system function.
That is one half of the picture. Where a traditional supplement lifts calm or energy on its own, Hoola blends TGA listed nutrients, nootropics and adaptogens to support the dual state modern life asks for. The trace minerals quietly do the big work behind the scenes, in bioavailable forms your body can actually use. Tiny team, major impact. You feel present, capable, bright.
Who tends to look for a vitamin D3 supplement?
People whose sun exposure does not match what their skin needs. Those who may consider vitamin D supplements include people with limited sun exposure, older adults, and people with certain dietary restrictions.
Skin tone changes the maths. People with dark skin may need three to six times as long in the sun. Age changes it too. In older people, the skin synthesises vitamin D significantly less efficiently than in younger people. Studies have found up to 77% of aged care residents are deficient.
Hoola is for someone looking to support their body and mind with a premium multivitamin: someone who wants more out of life, more balance, more adventure and more support. For people who want to perform without the crash.
How do you take Hoola's vitamin D3, and when?
One 10 g scoop mixed into 300 to 400 ml of cold water, each morning. Best taken in the morning or early afternoon, and not close to bedtime, because Hoola contains caffeine.
Vitamin D from food is fat soluble. It absorbs more easily into your bloodstream when taken with naturally high-fat foods such as avocado. So if breakfast involves eggs, avocado or nuts, your scoop sits nicely beside it.
There is no half serve, no double serve and no weekly total. Hoola is one 10 g scoop a day. Consistency over intensity, because most of our customers feel the biggest benefits with consistency. The arc is gradual: adaptogens may take four to six weeks for their full benefits, and the 150 g pouch gives you two weeks to see how you feel. One scoop. One glass of cold water. One less thing to think about.
Frequently asked questions
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is why the vitamin D from food can be stored in your body. It also needs to be activated and turned into a hormone before it works effectively. That activation happens in your liver and kidneys.
Where does vitamin D come from naturally?
Mostly from sunlight. The main source is your skin being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Smaller amounts of vitamin D3 come from certain foods such as fatty fish, eggs, meat and fortified foods including margarine and some low-fat milks. Fortified foods are ones with extra vitamin D added during processing. Vitamin D is also found in some animal foods and in supplements.
Can you get enough vitamin D from food alone?
No. Most adults are unlikely to get more than 5 to 10% of their vitamin D needs from dietary sources. With current food supplies and eating patterns, it is almost impossible to obtain sufficient vitamin D from diet alone. People mainly get vitamin D from sunlight, specifically UVB rays, because most foods contain minimal amounts.
Are there different types of vitamin D supplements?
Yes, there are different types of vitamin D supplements available. The two main forms are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). D2 comes from fungi and may be used in supplements. Some supplements also combine vitamin D with other nutrients, such as calcium or magnesium.
What are vitamin D supplements?
Vitamin D supplements are dietary products designed to provide extra vitamin D, a nutrient involved in calcium absorption and bone health. Most products available in Australia contain vitamin D3 formulated into soft-gel capsules, tablets, effervescent tablets and liquids. The range of formats, including capsules, tablets, drops and liquids, gives you flexible ways to take it. Hoola's format is a 10 g powder scoop mixed into cold water.
How do Australians usually get enough vitamin D?
Through careful sun exposure. In Australia, most people can get enough vitamin D that way. For many, it happens through incidental sun exposure during normal daily outdoor activities. It does not work for everyone: about four million Australians now have a vitamin D deficiency, according to the latest ABS data. Seasonal change also has a significant effect on how much cholecalciferol the skin produces.
Is a vitamin D3 supplement something you take every day?
Yes. Vitamin D supplements are cheap and usually come in a dose of 1,000 IU. Many people are guided to take oral vitamin D supplements to address or prevent deficiency. Hoola gives you 1,000 IU as one 10 g scoop a day. There is no half serve, no double serve and no weekly total, and most of our customers feel the biggest benefits with consistency.
Is it better to take vitamin D3 in the morning or at night?
Morning, with Hoola. We recommend the morning or early afternoon, and not close to bedtime, because the formula contains caffeine. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin and plays a key role in a number of important functions in the body, so an early scoop keeps it in step with the rest of your day. See what is in the scoop, or read more from us.
Always read the label and follow directions for use.
