Vitamin d rich foods are good for our health. Staying out in the early morning sun can be highly beneficial to your health, as the body can absorb sufficient amounts of vitamin D but Is it enough? Or what happens when you can’t get enough sunlight or enough time to stay out in the sun?
This is where Food rich in vitamin D comes in. They become your perfect substitute to meet up with your daily needs.
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Vitamin D is essential to your bone health, as it makes it easier for your body to absorb all the calcium it needs for the healthy development and support of your bones.
People who do not eat food rich in vitamin D and lack enough exposure to sunlight can be at risk of bone-related diseases, which could be life-threatening, so it is better to eat more foods with high amounts of vitamin D to avoid these severe but preventable health complications. This article will explore many options to select from for a perfect dish filled with Vitamin D contents.
6 Best Vitamin D Rich Foods
6 foods rich in Vitamin D to Add to your Daily Diet.
A recommended daily intake of 800 – 1000 IU of vitamin D from foods is essential for adults. This is depending on the level of exposure to sunlight. If perhaps you don’t get enough sunlight exposure, you will need more vitamin IU from the foods you consume. Here is a list of foods to help you improve your diet to provide more vitamin D;
- Canned Tuna:
This great-tasty fish can serve as a cheap supply of vitamin D in your diet. A serving of 100g of canned tuna can give you up to 268 IU of vitamin D in your diet. Although it is best to take canned tuna in moderation, less than 150g each week is appropriate to avoid a build of methyl-mercury in your body, leading to serious health challenges.
However, this fish’s healthy consumption can add up to 34% of your daily value intake of vitamin D, so including it in your diet is still a healthy choice. Aside from vitamin D, it is also a rich source of Vitamin K, so you can enjoy a moderate quantity of this fish to get these benefits.
If you are a lover of mushrooms, it might interest you to know that it provides a rich source of vitamin D. In fact, it is shockingly the only available plant source of vitamin D.
However, only wild mushrooms contain sufficiently high amounts of vitamin D to meet your daily requirement, except the commercially grown ones, which are fortified with vitamin D due to exposure to UV light. They generally lack it because they are grown in the dark.
You might want to handpick edible mushrooms on your own (avoid the poisonous ones) to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D from it. The major type of vitamin D produced by mushroom is D2, which is less efficient than D3 obtained from animals, so it can still contribute a significant benefit to your body.
You could get as much as 1150 IU of vitamin D from some varieties of wild mushroom, can you believe that? If we are counting, that is over 100% of the required daily value.
- Salmon:
This is another excellent source of vitamin D if you are a fish lover. Salmon is rich in vitamin D, although the quantity varies and is determined by whether it’s farmed or wild.
Some wild salmons can have up to 950 IU of vitamin D, which is more than 100% of the needed value, while farmed salmon can have up to 250 IU of vitamin D, giving you up to 32% of your daily needs. It is an exciting choice.
Salmon is also high in potassium, which is beneficial for blood and nutrients within the blood vessels. You can try it over many varieties of dishes and be sure you are getting enormous vitamin D into your body from it.
- Egg Yolks;
Egg yolks provide up to 5% of your vitamin D daily value. It can be a good source of animal protein if you don’t like fish. The amount of vitamin D in egg yolk varies, as this is determined by the hen’s vitamin D levels that laid it.
Chickens that had more time to roam in sunlight or that ate vitamin D fortified feeds will produce eggs with higher vitamin D contents, and it is that simple.
Your meals will do better with eggs in it, especially those laid by hens with adequate sunlight exposure and vitamin D sources.
- Herrings:
Herrings are another excellent fish to add to your dietary list. It is one of the top readily available sources of Vitamin D. You can get up to 112 IU of vitamin D from a 100g serving of pickled herrings. In comparison, fresh herrings can give you up to 216 IU in a single 100g, which is about 27% of your needed value.
It’s best to go for fresh herrings since they provide more vitamin D and pose lesser risks, unlike the pickled type, which has a possibility of high sodium content.
- Milk:
You will find a rich amount of vitamin D in cow milk or soy milk because they are fortified in most countries.
You could have up to 15% to 20% of your daily vitamin D needs from taking milk.
Cow milk contains particular vitamins and minerals, especially riboflavin, which can be very beneficial for proper growth.
Benefits Of Vitamin D Rich Foods
Foods rich in vitamin D can supply ample health benefits to your body. These benefits include:
- Vitamin D is essential as it can reduce inflammation caused by stress or other factors in the body.
- It is beneficial to your immune system. Studies have shown that it can inhibit harmful autoimmune diseases from developing.
- Sufficient Vitamin D in the body can help combat type 1 diabetes because it boosts insulin secretion in the pancreas. The insulin is then able to perform its functions.
- Vitamin D is also beneficial in boosting cognitive functions. It helps to reduce the risk of memory loss and autism.
- Sufficient vitamin D levels can be beneficial to the heart and help reduce high blood pressure risk.
Conclusion
It is essential to receive sufficient amounts of sunlight daily to help with the right quantity of Vitamin D. Vitamin D rich foods will also help to complement those who could not get enough sunlight to their body. These will help you to reach your required daily intake of Vitamin D.
You will find a sufficient Vitamin D supply in an animal-based diet and some additions to a plant-based diet. It’s best to eat meals with the right combination of animal and plant sources to achieve your needed vitamin D levels.
