How to Convert Micrograms to IUs

An international unit, abbreviated as IU, is a measurement used in science that identifies the biological effect of a particular substance. Therefore, there is no universal conversion factor between international units and mass, such as micrograms, as molecules with different masses may exert the same biological effect and thus have identical IU values. It is possible, however, to do mass conversions from IUs to specific molecules, as these values have been established and accepted by the medical community.

Things You'll Need

  • Medical reference
  • Calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the molecule in question and determine the amount of IUs that need to be converted. For example, vitamin amounts are normally reported in IUs; therefore, assume that 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 needs to be converted to micrograms.

    • 2

      Look up the number of micrograms per IU for the specific molecule in question. The conversion factor for the specific molecule in question can be found online, as well as in many medical reference literature. 1 IU of vitamin D3 is reported to equal 0.025 micrograms.

    • 3

      Multiply the conversion factor by the number of IUs to identify the amount of the molecule. For example:

      1000 IUs of Vitamin D3 would be equivalent to 25.0 micrograms.

      (0.025 mcg)/(1 IU of Vitamin D3) * (1000 IUs) = 25.0 micrograms

    • 4

      Realize that conversion factors are unique to different substances. For example, the same conversion in the Vitamin D example could not be used for other Vitamins. Each conversion factor would need to be identified in reference material for the respective molecules.

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