5 Healthy Foods That Are High in Vitamin D
Did you know that 1 billion people in the world are deficient in vitamin D and up to 50% have vitamin D insufficiency?
Because of this, the rates of diseases such as rickets, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and depression in adults are on the rise, since vitamin D plays an important role in preventing them.
The best source of vitamin D is the sun, the sun accounts for 90% of our total vitamin D and spending at least 20 minutes in the sun will satisfy the daily requirement for vitamin D which is approximately 400 IU.
Sadly, not everyone can attain this. This is mainly because many people spend more time indoors, and those who go out wear sunblock.
If you are not able to get enough sunlight, your intake of vitamin D-rich food should be higher.
Foods That Are Rich in Vitamin D
Here are 5 healthy foods rich in vitamin D that you should include in your meals
- Fish
Fish is a very good source of vitamin D, oily fish in particular is one of the best sources of vitamin D. This is because they store vitamin D in their fat and liver tissues.
Trout contains the highest source of vitamin D, a 3-ounce serving has 645 IU of vitamin D which provides more than 100% of the daily requirement. Salmon also provides more than 100% of the daily requirement, 3 ounces contain 570 IU.
Here is a list of other fish with high vitamin D
· Tuna (canned)- 231 IU in 3 ounces
· Herring- 182 IU in 3 ounces
· Sardines (canned)-164 IU in 3 ounces
· Tilapia- 127 IU in 3 ounces
· Flounder-118 IU in 3 ounces
2. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are also a very good source of vitamin D.
Are you on a vegan or vegetarian diet, then mushrooms are the perfect source of vitamin D!
Just like human beings, mushrooms make vitamin D when they are exposed to sunlight. However, while animals and humans produce vitamin D3 mushrooms produce vitamin D2
Wild mushrooms have the highest source of vitamin D of up to 19,000 IU per 100g
3. Eggs
Do you love eggs? Well, they are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin D. The egg yolks in particular are an excellent source of vitamin D. So when you are making breakfast, do not throw away the yolks!
One egg York has 37 IU of vitamin D and this can go way higher to 3000 IU of vitamin D per yolk of chicken fed with vitamin D rich feeds
Free-range eggs also have higher vitamin D because the chicken was raised outdoors and therefore were exposed to the sunlight
4. Cod liver oil
If you don’t eat fish, then cod liver oil could be the best alternative for you.
Cod liver oil is a supplement that is extracted from the liver of codfishes. It was initially given to young children to prevent rickets, but adults can use it to up their vitamin D levels.
up to 5ml of cod liver oil has approximately 400 IU of vitamin D
you can give your children cod liver oil to prevent rickets and also you can take it to relieve joint pains
cod liver oil is extremely nutritious and 1 teaspoon will provide you with 100% of your daily requirement for vitamin D
5. Fortified foods
If you do not like fish and you can’t stand the taste of cod liver oil, worry not, many foods are nowadays fortified with vitamin D. Fortification is the addition of minerals and supplements to food that initially lacks vitamin D.
Some of the food that has been fortified with vitamin D include cow’s milk, soy milk, orange juice, oatmeal and cereal
Final Word
The best source of vitamin D is the sun, this is why vitamin D is also known as the sun vitamin. But, sometimes it can get really difficult to get sufficient sun exposure.
You can boost your vitamin D by consuming foods that are high in vitamin D
If you are worried about your vitamin D levels, you can get your levels checked by a health professional
