The best food sources of vitamin D are oily fish, including salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Other sources include egg yolks, red meat, and liver. Vitamin D is added to some foods too, including breakfast cereals, plant milks and fat spreads.
The best sources are the flesh of fatty fish and fish liver oils. Smaller amounts are found in egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver. Certain mushrooms contain some vitamin D2; in addition some commercially sold mushrooms contain higher amounts of D2 due to intentionally being exposed to high amounts of ultraviolet light.
Unfortunately, no fruits are high in vitamin D, and fortified orange juice is currently the only fruit product commonly sold with vitamin D.
“Fish and seafood are major animal sources of vitamin D. The vitamin D present in them is better absorbed by the body, as compared to plant-based sources,” she suggests.
Research has found that an average serving of 2 eggs contains 8.2mcg of vitamin D, a substantial portion of the recommended dietary intake of vitamin D [2], making them a great addition to the diet to support the intake of adequate levels of this vital vitamin.
Many fruits and vegetables contain a special type of vitamin D known as ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2. The highest value of vitamin D2 is found in the trendy, yet incredibly tasty avocado.
Yogurt, plant-based milks (like soy, almond, or oat milk), cereal, and orange juice are also commonly fortified. For example, Cheerios have 60 IU of vitamin D in each 1.5-cup serving. Adding more of these foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D or fortified with it can help increase your vitamin D intake.
Nope, no vitamin D here. But bananas do contain plenty of magnesium. And guess what? Among the many reasons you need magnesium is that once your vitamin D is in your bloodstream, the magnesium puts it to work, making magnesium a must-have in order for you to access the many benefits of vitamin D.
The humble and yummy bananas are a great source of magnesium, which plays an important role in activating vitamin D in the body.
Because few foods naturally contain vitamin D, many foods are fortified with it. Vitamin D can also be obtained from sun exposure. Although carrots have no vitamin D, they contain other important nutrients that can benefit your health.
They have extremely high nutritional value. Blueberries have vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. If you're looking for a health boost when you're on the go, a handful is the perfect snack.
Oranges are one of the fruits rich in Vitamin D as its juice is fortified with calcium & vitamin D. This is one of the best sources of vitamin D for people who are lactose intolerant and cannot include milk & dairy products in their diet.
In spring and summer, 25 percent of the body (the hands, face, neck and arms) is exposed to the sun, and in these seasons, about 8 to 10 minutes of sun exposure at noon produces the recommended amount of vitamin D. In the winter, only 10 percent of the body is exposed, and nearly 2 hours of sun exposure at noon is ...
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
"Adequate levels of magnesium in the body are essential for the absorption and metabolism not only of vitamin D but of calcium as well," Dean states. "Magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form so that it can help calcium absorption.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause a number of neurological problems, including fatigue, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. This means having a vitamin D deficiency treated with a supplement can possibly help improve your concentration levels.
Today, 25(OH)D less than 12 ng/mL is considered evidence of severe vitamin D deficiency.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Most people with vitamin D deficiency are asymptomatic. However, if you're exhausted, your bones hurt, you have muscle weakness or mood changes, that's an indication that something may be abnormal with your body.
A fall in the concentration of calcium in the bloodstream is detected by the parathyroid glands, which then produce parathyroid hormone. Parathyroid hormone increases the activity of the enzyme (catalyst) that produces active vitamin D.