Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : May 25, 2020 9:15 AM IST
Doctors should also consider monitoring the vitamin D status of their pregnant patients. © Shutterstock
The best-known role of vitamin D in the body is to keep bones healthy by increasing absorption of calcium. However, the sunshine vitamin plays many other roles in the body, including modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, reduction of inflammation, etc. Severe vitamin D deficiency can contribute to osteoporosis, rickets in children, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, among other diseases.
So, getting enough vitamin D is essential for all, even more important for expecting moms. Vitamin D is crucial for building your child's bone mass. Low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy have also been linked to an increased risk of premature birth and greater risk of asthma in the child.
Vitamin D deficiency may also increase the mother's risk of high blood pressure, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Therefore, it is important that pregnant women get adequate amount of vitamin D for the good health of both mother and child. Doctors should also consider monitoring the vitamin D status of their pregnant patients.
Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency seems to be common among pregnant women.
Your body produces vitamin D naturally when it's exposed to sunlight. But you can also get it through certain foods and supplements. Here are 5 foods that are high in vitamin D:
Fatty fish like salmon and sardines are excellent sources of Vitamin D. Experts say one serving of salmon can give you 32 per cent of your daily requirement of this nutrient. Other seafood that are rich in this nutrient include shrimps and herrings.
Adding eggs in your daily diet is another way to boost your vitamin D levels. Egg yolks are a good source of vitamin D. But the vitamin D levels in egg yolk also depends on sun exposure and the vitamin D content of chicken feed. Eggs from chickens who get vitamin-D-enriched feed may have up to 6,000 IU of vitamin D per yolk, which is a good amount for expecting moms.
Sorry vegetarians, mushrooms are apparently the only natural plant source of Vitamin D. Just like humans, mushrooms too can synthesize this nutrient when exposed to sunlight. Especially wild mushrooms are rich source of this nutrient, but be careful, not all mushrooms are edible.
Even among non-vegetarians, some people don't eat fish because they don't like the smell. If you are one of them, you can take cod liver oil. Just one teaspoon of cod liver oil can give you 56 per cent of your daily requirement of Vitamin D. Caution: This oil is also a rich source of vitamin A, which in high amounts can be toxic.
As natural sources of vitamin D are limited, vegetarians can turn to food products that are fortified with this nutrient.
For example, cow's milk is usually fortified with vitamin D. Plus it is rich in many nutrients, including calcium, phosphorous, and riboflavin.
Vegans are at a particularly high risk of not getting enough vitamin D as this nutrient is found mostly in animal products. Don't worry! You can opt for fortified plant-based milk substitutes like soymilk. It is often fortified with vitamin D and other nutrients usually found in cow's milk.
