This isn’t an easy topic to write about nor is it an easy topic to find information about since it’s quite complex.
Contents
D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
People at high risk of not getting enough vitamin D, all children aged 1 to 4, and all babies (unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day) should take a daily supplement throughout the year.
1. Salmon
Whether the salmon is wild or farmed can make a big difference. Some studies have found even higher levels in wild salmon — up to 1,300 IU per serving Summary Wild salmon contains about 988 IU of vitamin D per serving, while farmed salmon contains 250 IU, on average.
#1: Fish (Salmon)
(1)
A deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to rickets, a weakened immune system, increased cancer risk, poor hair growth and osteomalacia. (1)
The current U.S. Daily Value (%DV) for vitamin D is 20μg (micrograms) and the toxicity threshold is thought to be 250 to 1000 μg/day.
When this is the case remember that 1μg=40IU for Vitamin D. (1)
Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means you need to eat fat to absorb it. Vitamin D is also made by the body when skin is exposed sunlight and is therefore called the sunshine vitamin. This accounts for approximately 90% of our total vitamin D, with only 10% coming from food.
Below is a list of the top 10 foods highest in vitamin D by common serving size, for more see the nutrient ranking of 200 foods high in vitamin.
Oily Fish
E products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission.
Here’s our process. Vitamin D is a type of nutrient that the body produces when a person’s skin has exposure to direct sunlight. People can also consume vitamin D, but it is not naturally present in many foods.
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) , the key benefit of vitamin D is that it helps keep a person’s bones, muscles, and nerves healthy. It also contributes to a healthy immune system. It is present in egg yolks if the chickens laying them are free-range.
Some mushrooms also contain vitamin D. However, no other plant-based foods produce vitamin D. For people whose diets are mostly vegetarian or vegan, and for people who do not or cannot spend a lot of time outdoors, it can be difficult to get enough vitamin D. If a person has concerns that they are not getting enough vitamin D from direct sunlight, consuming the following foods will help increase the overall amount they have in their bodies.