The Sunshine Vitamin: Top Natural Food Sources of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient essential for various biological activities. It is important for the maintenance of a healthy ratio of calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood, making it essential for the development and maintenance of a healthy skeleton. It may also play a role in blood pressure regulation and general growth and maintenance of cells.
Regardless of gender, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for children and adults is 15 micrograms of vitamin D daily, while the RDA for older adults (>70 years) is 20 micrograms. However, a recent study on its anti-cancer potential presented an interesting case for considering an increase of the RDA to about 38 - 50 micrograms.
Exposing our body to sunlight during the day is sufficient to obtain vitamin D from the sun. Depending on the sun intensity, studies have shown that sunlight exposure to about 35% of skin area for 13 - 30 minutes during the summer in light-skinned individuals may produce sufficient vitamin D levels. For dark-skinned people, the melanin pigment reduces the effectiveness of vitamin D production from the sun. Hence, getting the recommended vitamin D from the sun may require up to 3 hours of skin exposure. This implies that darker-skinned people may be at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Read: Vitamin D and Cancer: Top 3 Things To Know
Due to several factors that naturally impedes the average person from getting enough vitamin D from the sun (reviewed previously here), the daily vitamin D needs are often based on amounts in foods. Indeed, naturally occurring food sources of Vitamin D are scarce. Hence, it may not be surprising if a large portion of the population is not meeting the daily needs of vitamin D. Apart from the sun, here are the top natural food sources of vitamin D.
Animal Food Sources
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| Top Animal Food Sources of Vitamin D Images are not necessarily an actual depiction of portion size |
Vitamin D in nature is found predominantly in animal food sources. Fish remains the highest source of this "sunshine vitamin". Of all food sources, Salmon ranks highest. A standard portion size (3 oz) of sockeye (red) salmon could pack up to 18 micrograms of vitamin D (remember, the current daily recommendation for adults is 15 micrograms)! Similar portion sizes of chinook (king) salmon and pink salmon contain about 15 and 12 micrograms of vitamin D respectively. Mackerel is also a good source of vitamin D with about 10 micrograms per serving (3 oz). Additionally, just one teaspoon of cod liver oil contains about 11 micrograms of vitamin D. Of all the fish family, tilapia and flatfish contain the lowest amount of vitamin D with about 3 micrograms. Eggs are not a great source of vitamin D since one large egg contains a paltry amount of 1 microgram.
Other Food Sources
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| Common Mushrooms and their Vitamin D Content Images are not necessarily an actual depiction of portion size |
Fortified foods are often considered decent sources of certain vitamins and minerals. However, a look at the vitamin D content is a little disappointing. In a standard portion size (1 cup), the amount of vitamin D found in fortified milk (whole, reduced fat, soy, almond) was around 3 micrograms. A similar amount of vitamin D also exists in other fortified products such as orange juice, yogurt, and even less in margarine.
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| Vitamin D Contents of Common Fortified Foods |
Summary
- If your lifestyle does not allow enough exposure to sunlight, vitamin D becomes an essential nutrient that must be obtained from the diet.
- Animal-based foods are the main natural sources of vitamin D. These foods include salmons, mackerel and cod liver oils.
- Other foods such as mushrooms and fortified foods are decent sources of vitamin D.
- Just like any other nutrient, it is always preferred to get your vitamin D from natural food sources. If that is absolutely impossible, supplements may then be desirable. With several subpar supplements in the market, your best bet is to discuss with your health care provider or dietitian on what product(s) might be right for you.
Other Useful Resource
- Food Sources of Vitamin D: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-12/
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