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We often hear about vitamin D in relation to the sun or fortified milk products.
But what exactly is vitamin D? Why is it important, and how can you ensure you’re getting enough of it?
In this article, we’ll walk through the foods that are high in vitamin D and when you should consider adding a vitamin D supplement to your diet.
What Is Vitamin D Good for?
Vitamin D is a powerhouse for the body that plays many different roles, including:
- Helping the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus, which can contribute to bone strength and health.
- Making the immune system stronger.
- Aiding nerves to carry messages between the brain and other parts of the body.
- Fighting inflammation.
- Helping with muscle contractions.
How Much Vitamin D a Day Do I Need?
For most kids, teens and adults, the National Institutes of Health’s recommended daily allowance for vitamin D is 600 international units (IU), or 15 micrograms. This is the same recommendation for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
The recommendation for babies under a year old is 400 IU a day. For adults ages 70 and older, the recommendation is 800 IU daily.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
There aren’t many foods naturally high in vitamin D, so getting enough of the vitamin solely through your diet can be challenging, says Amy Kimberlain, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist based in Miami and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
As a result, almost half of Americans may be vitamin D deficient.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:
- Bone and muscle pain.
- Fatigue.
- Hair loss.
- History of bone breaks.
- Tingling nerves in the hands and feet.
- Weakness.
It can be hard to identify a vitamin D deficiency without getting a blood test, says Amanda Lane, a Minneapolis-based registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist and founder of Healthful Lane Nutrition.
Foods Rich in Vitamin D
Some foods that are rich in vitamin D include:
A 3-ounce serving of freshwater rainbow trout has a whopping 645 IUs of vitamin D, more than the daily recommended amount. You can grill rainbow trout and add a variety of toppings, like garlic butter, for a tasty meal. Just watch out for small bones, though, when eating this fish.
Salmon, a popular oily fish, is high in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. A 3-ounce serving of salmon can have from about 380 to 570 IUs of vitamin D. Among the ways you can prepare salmon are:
- Baking.
- Grilling.
- Pan-searing.
- Adding it to salads or breakfast dishes.
You’re missing out on vitamin D if you’re sticking to egg whites. One large egg yolk has 37 IUs of vitamin D, which can add up if you’re having a couple of eggs at the same time.
“Instead of using only egg whites, choose whole eggs for your breakfast omelet,” Lane suggests.
Other ways to enjoy eggs and egg yolks include:
- Chopping them into an egg-salad sandwich.
- Placing a cooked egg on top of a salad.
- Slicing an egg on top of avocado toast.
Canned tuna, a lunchtime staple, is naturally high in vitamin D, with 3 ounces containing 231 IUs of the vitamin. Try a tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread the next time you make a meal, or check out the various flavor options of ready-made tuna packages.
Exposing mushrooms to UV light can actually boost their vitamin D content, according to the Mushroom Council. Consuming one large portobello mushroom exposed to UV light can provide as much as 400 IUs per serving. This option could be particularly beneficial for vegetarians and vegans who don’t get vitamin D from meat or dairy products.
Consider adding mushrooms to omelets, salads, burritos or stir-fry dishes.
When you buy mushrooms, make sure to look on the packaging for an indication that the mushrooms were exposed to UV light.
Are Foods Fortified With Vitamin D Good?
Foods fortified with vitamin D may be particularly important for nutrition.
“With few foods naturally containing vitamin D, it’s important to include foods that have been fortified with the vitamin to ensure you’re getting sufficient amounts from your diet,” says Lauren Twigge, a registered dietitian based in Dallas and owner of Lauren Twigge Nutrition.
Some of the foods fortified with vitamin D aren’t large sources of the vitamin, but they can help overall levels, especially for older adults and those living in northern climates, Lane adds.
Examples of food fortified with vitamin D are:
Milk is perhaps the most common food fortified with vitamin D. One cup of fortified whole cow’s milk typically has about 95 IUs of the vitamin.
Other types of milks also fortified with vitamin D include:
- Almonds.
- Coconut.
- Oat.
- Rice.
- Soy.
Read the product label to double-check the milk you’re drinking has added vitamin D.
One extra advantage of drinking milk is that it’s an efficient way to consume many other healthy nutrients, like calcium and B vitamins, which help improve mental well-being and mood, Twigge adds.
If you can’t start your morning without a cup of orange juice, then there’s some good news on the vitamin D front. If you buy the fortified version of OJ, then 1 cup adds about 100 IUs of vitamin D to your diet.
Some cereals are fortified with vitamin D, but you’ll want to check the label on the box. If your cereal of choice does have added vitamin D, look for how much to make sure you’re hitting those daily targets.
Much like with milk, some types of yogurts are fortified with vitamin D. Read the packaging and look for “vitamin D added” or similar indications.
Do I Need Vitamin D Supplements?
The need for vitamin D supplements depends on both your vitamin D levels and recommendations from a health care provider. As mentioned, you can find out your vitamin D level through a blood test. A reading below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) is often low, though some providers also recommend supplementation if your number is slightly higher than that.
There may be a few reasons you would want to take a vitamin D supplement:
- You live in an area where you don’t get a lot of sun exposure. Sun helps the body to make vitamin D. Without sun exposure – or if your skin is consistently covered up with long sleeves or pants – you have one less potential source for vitamin D.
- You’re an older adult. It becomes harder for the body to synthesize vitamin D with age.
- You have a dark skin tone. Skin tones with more melanin don’t always make enough vitamin D in response to sunlight.
- You’re a vegetarian or vegan, so your food choices for vitamin D are more limited.
- You’re breastfeeding. Breast milk is low in vitamin D, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants who are breastfed or partially breastfed begin to receive 400 IUs of vitamin D via supplementation starting a couple of days after they’re born.
If a health care provider recommends that you take a vitamin D supplement, make sure to take it consistently so it can be effective, Kimberlain advises.
FAQs
Yes, it’s possible to take too much vitamin D, especially when using vitamin D supplements. The recommended upper level of vitamin D is no more than 4,000 IUs per day with the use of supplements. That said, vitamin D toxicity is a lot less common than vitamin D deficiency.
Aging, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, gastric bypass surgery or following a vegetarian or vegan diet can contribute to vitamin D deficiency.
This may vary per person. If you have symptoms related to vitamin D deficiency, you may start to feel better after a couple of weeks. However, to consistently address a deficiency, you’ll need to recheck your vitamin D levels with a blood test after a couple of months.
Bottom Line
Vitamin D helps to keep our bodies running as they should, but it can sometimes be hard to get enough of it.
Eating foods that are high in vitamin D and taking a vitamin D supplement, if your health care provider recommends it, can make a difference. Make sure to eat a varied diet to get a well-rounded mix of nutrients along with a focus on vitamin D, Twigge recommends.
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