Vitamin d foods

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Luckily, sunlight (in moderation), supplements and food sources can help get your numbers up to where they should be. “Many people are able to meet their daily requirement of vitamin D from sun exposure and a balanced diet,” says registered dietitian Those most at risk for vitamin D deficiency include: • Older adults. • People with limited sun exposure. • People who have obesity or who have had gastric bypass surgery. • Those with • Infants who are exclusively breastfed without vitamin D supplementation. • People with certain digestive diseases that result in malabsorption. For most children and adults, about 600 international units per day is recommended, however it can range up to 4,000 international units per day depending on health needs. (Most supplements offer about 2,000 international units of vitamin D per pill.) Vitamin D: Whole foods vs. fortified foods Fortified foods are meant to help boost vitamin and mineral intake. They’re designed to add nutrients that don’t naturally occur in the product. Sometimes iron, fiber, zinc or vitamin A is added. For instance, most milk is fortified with vitamin D and calcium is sometimes added to orange juice. “Since so few foods found in nature are good sources of vitamin D, fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D found in the American diet,” explains Tayl...

It's important for your bones, blood cells, and immune system -- your body's defense against germs. You get most of your vitamin D from sunlight on your skin. Just a few minutes a day on your hands and face should do the trick. But you can also get it from food. If you're homebound, sick, or older, you might not get enough vitamin D. Talk to your doctor if you think your levels are low. In this case, it's better to buy it at the store than to squeeze it yourself. That's because the vitamin D comes not from the oranges themselves, but from the makers who add it to the juice at the factory. Look for the words "fortified with vitamin D" on the label. You get about 2.5 mcg for each cup. Enjoy a glass of orange juice, but don't overdo it. Besides nutrients, it's also packed with sugar and calories. A 3-ounce serving of salmon can give you 10 to 18 mcg of vitamin D, depending on the type. Wild coho is at the low end with 10 mcg, and canned sockeye salmon is at the top with 18. Other fatty fish like mackerel, herring, and sardines also have a pretty good vitamin D kick. For an easy-to-prepare meal, try baked fish cakes with salmon from the can. You can get 8 mcg of vitamin D when you eat 3 ounces of portabella mushrooms. But you might bring them outside to see the sun for a few seconds. That's because UV light from the sun raises the level of vitamin D in many mushrooms, and particularly in portabellas. For an alternative to a meat dish, brush portabella mushrooms with olive oil ...

Karen Asp is one of the most well-respected journalists and authors in the field, her specialties being health, fitness, nutrition, travel, and animals (companion and farmed). She's logged more than 20 years' worth of experience writing for leading print and online magazines and has written two books. “You’ll still have to include variety in your diet, get sun exposure and possibly take a vitamin D supplement,” says Kitchens, adding that many of her clients need to take 1,000 to 5,000 IU daily, depending on their current D levels, geographic location, skin pigmentation, and diet. Although increasing vitamin D fortification may improve the nutrient content of cereal, “it’s still a processed food and not considered particularly healthful.” Because cereals are often low in fiber and protein, Meyer recommends looking for ones with five or more grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein per serving. Check added sugar levels, too, and choose one with the lowest amount. And if you’re worried about your vitamin D levels, a simple blood test will determine where you stand, so ask your doctor.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D1, D2, and D3. Your body produces vitamin D naturally when it’s directly exposed to sunlight. You can also get vitamin D from certain foods and supplements to ensure adequate levels of the vitamin in your blood. Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and Getting enough vitamin D is important for typical growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance to certain diseases. Here is more information about the benefits of vitamin D, plus information about downsides, how much you need, and foods with vitamin D. In addition to its primary benefits, research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in: • Reducing the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). A 2018 review of population-based studies found that low levels of vitamin D are linked with an increased risk of • Decreasing the chance of heart disease. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to increased risk of heart diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. But it’s unclear whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to • Reducing the likelihood of severe illnesses. Although studies are mixed, vitamin D may make severe flu and COVID-19 infections less likely. A recent review found that low vitamin D levels contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome ( • Supporting immune health. People who do not have adequate vitamin D levels might ...

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Regular portabella mushrooms have a small amount of vitamin D, but portabellas grown with extra exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light have much more. One whole UV-exposed portabella mushroom has about 375 IUs of vitamin D. Portabellas are also an excellent source of selenium, potassium, and several B-complex vitamins. Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Fish oils contain vitamin D so it makes sense that fatty fish like salmon are good for getting vitamin D. Three ounces of fresh pink salmon have 370 IUs and three ounces of canned sockeye salmon has almost 800 IUs of vitamin D. Salmon is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and an antioxidant called Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Halibut is a good source of vitamin D, with about 200 IUs in a three-ounce serving of fish. Halibut is also a good source of protein, B-complex vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Eating halibut will provide you with essential omega-3 fatty acids as well, so there are many good reasons to cook up this fish. Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Trout is another good source of vitamin D. Since it's a white fish, it has a milder flavor than oilier fish like salmon and tuna. Three ounces of rainbow trout has about 650 IUs of vitamin D. Trout is also an excellent source of protein, B-complex vitamins, and minerals. Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Canned tuna has about 40 IUs of vitamin D in a three-ounce serving so each can have about 80 IUs. Canned tuna is also a g...

Facebook 806 Tweet Pin 1.9k Email 6 Print Sometimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin D has great importance for human health, and it plays a role in blood pressure regulation and immune health, among many other functions ( While sunlight is the most recognized way of getting vitamin D, numerous foods provide a good amount of this nutrient. This article takes an in-depth look at thirty foods that provide high vitamin D content. For reference, the current reference daily intake (RDI) for vitamin D is 600 IU (15 mcg) for adults. However, this falls to 400 IU (10 mcg) for children under 12 months old and rises to 800 IU (20 mcg) for adults over the age of 70( The FDA has set a daily value (DV) for vitamin D of 20 mcg ( This article’s source of all nutritional values is the 1) American Cheese (Fortified) Otherwise known as sliced cheese, American cheese is a type of processed cheese product sold in individually packaged slices. The ingredients of American cheese include milk, milk protein, cheese, salt, and preservatives. Per slice serving, American cheese provides 1.36 mcg of vitamin D, equal to 7% of the recommended daily value ( American Cheese Serving Size Vitamin D Content % Daily Value 1 slice (21g) 1.36 mcg 7% DV 100 grams 6.5 mcg 33% DV 2) Atlantic Mackerel Not only is mackerel a popular fish, but it is also one of the most nutrient-rich food options. Atlantic mackerel is a good choice of fish as it contains h...

Vitamin D deficiency — when the level of vitamin D in your body is too low — can cause your bones to become thin, brittle or misshapen. Vitamin D also appears to play a role in insulin production and immune function — and how this relates to chronic disease prevention and cancer — but this is still being investigated. Although the amount of vitamin D adults get from their diets is often less than what's recommended, exposure to sunlight can make up for the difference. For most adults, vitamin D deficiency is not a concern. However, some groups — particularly people who are obese, who have dark skin and who are older than age 65 — may have lower levels of vitamin D due to their diets, little sun exposure or other factors. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day. That goes up to 800 IU a day for those older than age 70. To meet this level, choose foods that are rich in vitamin D. For example, choose fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, tuna and halibut, which offer higher amounts of vitamin D, or fortified foods, such as milk and yogurt. Don't overdo it, though. Very high levels of vitamin D have not been shown to provide greater benefits. In fact, too much vitamin D has been linked to other health problems. If you're concerned about whether you're getting enough vitamin D, talk to your doctor about your diet and whether a vitamin supplement might benefit you. • Vitamin D. Merck Manual Professional Version. http://w...