The top 5 food sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that can be synthesized by the body and also obtained through dietary sources.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which is required by the body for absorption of calcium (essential for normal bone formation). This is the only vitamin that can be produced by the body on exposure to early sunlight for about 10 15 minutes thrice a week. Deficiency of this vitamin leads to rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults and hence it is important to meet the daily requirement of this vitamin. Although most people do meet some of their daily dose of vitamin D through sun, there are certain food sources that contain this vitamin in good amounts. Here are the top 5 dietary sources of this vitamin

Fish

They are indeed the best dietary sources of vitamin D and should be included in your diet in case you are a non-vegetarian. Fish that contain high levels of fatty acids (oils) such as salmon, tuna, herring, sardine, cod and mackerel are known to be rich in this vitamin.

Fortified foods

Fortified or enriched foods indicate that the essential vitamins and minerals which are lost during processing are added back to the foods to increase their nutritional value. Some of the foods that are fortified with vitamin D include bread, cereals, milk, dairy products, soy milk and orange juice.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are common ingredient in pizzas along with being often consumed in the form of gravies. Vitamin D is present in good amounts in some varieties of mushrooms such as white button, wild edible and chanterelle. Add mushrooms to foods rich in calcium to enhance the absorption of this mineral by the body.

Milk and milk products

Do you drink milk daily? If not, start consuming a glass of milk everyday, as it not only contains calcium, but also has good amounts of vitamin D. Other dairy sources of this vitamin are cheese (cheddar) and plain yoghurt which also exert beneficial effects on the body other than calcium absorption.

Meat and eggs

Egg yolk and beef liver are excellent sources of vitamin D that cater to the non-vegetarian palate. Other foods like chicken breasts and pork do contain this vitamin but in comparatively low amounts.

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You may also like to read:

• 5 vitamin A-rich foods you should include in your diet
• Top 5 food sources of vitamin E
• 5 natural sources of vitamin K

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References:

1. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2010.
2. Holden JM, Lemar LE, Exler J. Vitamin D in foods: development of the US Department of Agriculture database. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr; 87(4):1092S-6S. Review. PubMed PMID: 18400740.
3. O'Mahony, L., Stepien, M., Gibney, M. J., Nugent, A. P., & Brennan, L. (2011). The potential role of vitamin D enhanced foods in improving vitamin D status.Nutrients, 3(12), 1023-1041.