Food is becoming increasingly available to us, yet more and more people are developing vitamin deficiencies. It’s because the food we eat is nutritionally void and we are forced to look for our vitamins and minerals elsewhere. When it comes to important vitamins for our bodies, vitamin D takes center stage, it is one of those essential vitamins our bodies need to stay healthy. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, it helps have strong bones, muscles (it is especially helpful to the heart), it helps us fight depression and it works hand in hand with out immune system. The main source of vitamin D is the sun, but there are other sources of vitamin D and today we’re going to take a look at what they are.
10. Fortified Milk
Almost all milk is fortified with vitamin D, so if you like cow’s milk, then you’re lucky! A glass of milk will contain around 100 IUs of vitamin D, and a small yogurt will have 80 IUs. Have a glass of milk while sitting in the sun and you’re good to go!
9. Nut Milk
If you are a vegan, or lactose intolerant, you’ll be happy to hear that almost all nut milk available on the market is also fortified with vitamin D. Besides, you should drink this over the cow’s milk, it’s much better for your health, that the fatty and medicine-filled cow’s milk. You should, however, check the label before purchasing your soy or almond milk.
8. Orange Juice
Continuing with fortified beverages, we’re adding orange juice to the list of drinks that are commonly fortified with vitamin D, so if you’re not a milk fan, drink a glass of refreshing orange juice and get 100 IUs of vitamin D. Again, we suggest you check the label to make sure the OJ is fortified before you buy it.
7. Fatty Fish
Another good source of vitamin D is fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, trout and tuna. If you love fish, then try to focus on these and you won’t have any issue in getting your vitamin D. Did you know that a salmon fillet that weighs 3 ounces will contain around 500 IUs of vitamin D? If you are under 70 years of age, then you should consume around 600 IUs of the vitamin every day.
6. Supplements
Some of the handiest sources of vitamin D are vitamin supplements. If you’re on the go or you simply don’t want to give vitamin D too much of your time, then grab a multivitamin, relax and let it take care of everything. You can choose to take a multivitamin supplement or a vitamin D supplement. Have your doctor recommend you one!
5. Egg Yolks
We know that egg yolks have a little too much cholesterol (around 200 milligrams) and that the American Heart Association recommends we get no more than 300 mgs of it per day, but if you know your cholesterol levels are OK and you are not overweight, then you can rely on egg yolks for a bit of vitamin D. One yolk has around 40 IUs of vitamin D. Have a couple of eggs and stay in the sun for an hour and your body will thank you.
4. Some Mushrooms
It’s probably the only time we can safely say that mushrooms resemble people. Mushrooms, just like us, have the ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. The tricky thing about that issue is that usually, mushrooms are grown in the dark and can’t produce the vitamin. If you want to make sure you’re getting your vitamin D from mushroom, then make sure you get the ones that are grown outdoors.
3. Cod Liver Oil
While it doesn’t sound very appealing, you should know that it some of it comes in capsule form, so you won’t be tasting any cod liver oil in your mouth; the one that doesn’t come in capsule form is flavored with mint or even citrus. One tablespoon has around 1,000 IUs of vitamin D, which is twice the recommended allowance. You shouldn’t, however, consume more than 4,000 IUs per day!
2. Fortified Cereals
Another fortified food that is almost always going to appeal to people: cereal. Whether you’re a health freak and choose the healthy granola-type cereal or the child inside you wins almost every morning and gets to have sugary and colorful cereal, if you eat any of those, you’ll get your vitamin D!
1. Sunlight
As we mentioned in the beginning, the sun is the main source of vitamin D. Just 6 days of sunlight exposure will make up for 50 days of no sunlight exposure. What you need to remember is that the best results are obtained when using no sunscreen. While we don’t advise to expose yourself to the sun without any UV protection, we do suggest that you use a sunscreen with a lower SPF, such as 20 or 10. Don’t forget that up to 90% of the vitamin D our body gets is obtained through exposure to the good sun.
What are your thoughts on these sources of vitamin D? What is your primary source of this vitamin? Do you use sunscreen? If there is anything you would like to share with us, drop us a line in the comment section below.
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