1. Sunshine
Most people get at least some of their vitamin D this way. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), exposing your face, arms, legs, or back to sunlight for 5–30 minutes twice a week — without sunscreen — is usually sufficient to generate optimal vitamin D levels Additional factors, such as the season, time of day, and degree of pollution or smog, as well as your age, skin color, and sunscreen use, also affect your skin’s ability to produce enough vitamin D (2).
Moreover, older adults and those with darker skin tones may require significantly longer than 30 minutes of sun exposure to produce sufficient vitamin D Hence, the American Academy of Dermatology urges people not to rely on the sun as their main source of vitamin D Summary Your skin produces vitamin D following direct exposure to the sun.
Why Do You Need Vitamin D?
It also plays a role in regulating the immune system. A meta-analysis suggests that low vitamin D levels could increase the risk or severity of COVID-19 infection. The U.S. Department of Justice even ordered a Georgia company that touted its vitamin D products as a treatment for COVID-19 to stop, all because of unsubstantiated claims.
1. Mushrooms
The FDA has even approved UV-treated mushrooms as an additive to other foods to increase vitamin D intake. Of course, mushrooms typically grow in darkness, but that doesn’t mean you can’t boost their vitamin D levels on your own. Simply spread them out on a baking sheet and put them in the sun from 10 a.m. To 4 p.m.
These D levels don’t decrease when cooked, either. And the vitamin D levels have a long shelf life, too, so you can prepare them and then cook or eat them anytime.
2. Fortified Soy Milk And Almond Milk
Recent studies show that sufficient vitamin D intake may help to prevent cancer, while a deficiency is linked not just to cancer, but also to multiple sclerosis, muscle weakness, and depression.
You may wonder what the difference is between vitamins D 2 and D 3 : vitamin D 2 is derived from plant sources, while vitamin D 3 can be derived either from lanolin (from sheep’s wool, i.e., not vegan) or lichen (from algae, i.e., vegan). Some fortified products will not specify the derivation of the vitamin D, but we encourage vegans not to stress too much about trace amounts of animal products. Even 15 or 20 seconds can make a big difference.
Fortified Soy Milk and Almond Milk
Soy and almond milk are often fortified with vegan vitamin D 2 , but check the label to make sure.