7 ways to increase your vitamin D levels
Did you know that vitamin D acts like a hormone in the body and is a vital component involved in regulating our immune system? Vitamin D is also thought to be anti-inflammatory meaning it can have an important part to play in managing a large number of conditions, from muscle and joint aches and pains, to how we respond to cold and flu infections.
So, I think it's safe to say that everyone should be getting enough. But how can you ensure this is happening? Here I explore 7 effective yet easily attainable ways to increase your vitamin D levels, including:
- Spending more time outside
- Consuming some oily fish
- Having an egg a day
- Making room for mushrooms
- Working on improving your digestion
- Taking a supplement
- Including some fortified foods
1. Spending more time outside
It is well known by now that we acquire the majority of our vitamin D from the sun, but are there any catches? Whilst vitamin D is indeed most easily obtained from sun light, there are some points you should note in order get the most from the sun it terms of vitamin D acquisition:
- Sunlight at certain times of the year won't cut it. April-October sun is your best bet for getting sufficient vitamin D levels, as well as being exposed to sun around the middle of the day so look for when the sun is highest in the sky.
- Lathering up on sunblock could affect your vitamin D uptake. Opt for a lower factor of sunscreen if you're able; just as long as you aren't planning to be in the sun for too long.
Tips for making it achievable:
I don't want you stressing about getting vitamin D from the sun or only being outside for this reason so, tips to make this more easily achievable are as follows:
- Open a window. Whilst most window panes will block the UBV rays from the sun needed for vitamin D synthesis, depending on your position and the window, opening a window wide enough could be a nice way to catch some rays whilst working away, for example. The lovely dose of fresh air will do you good too.
- Exercise outside. If you're doing some exercise anyway, why not move it outside if you can? Team sports can be fun in the sun, as can individual options like yoga or Pilates. This means you can get a lovely dose of vitamin D whilst you work out – bonus!
2. Consume some oily fish
Whilst the food sources of vitamin D are a little more limited compared to some other essential nutrients, there are still some suitable options! Oily fish options include salmon, tuna, mackerel, kippers, anchovies and herring and these are all great sources of vitamin D.
Tips for making it achievable:
Not everyone is a huge lover of fish, but I hope I can offer you some tips for getting an extra dose of vitamin D through fish, which you might not have considered before:
- Tinned fish still counts! For anyone who is nervous at the thought of preparing fresh fish, tinned fish is still a good option. Tinned tuna or salmon are often more popular options and can contain up to a 1/3 of your recommended daily amount of vitamin D in one serving.
- Fish oil supplements. If fresh fish really isn't an option for you then don't worry, there are some other options too. Fish oil capsules, for example, contain a helpful dose of vitamin D, as well as other helpful components such as omega-3. Just always be sure to double check for quality when choosing a fish oil supplement.
3. Have an egg a day
Have an apple a day and keep the doctor away, but what about eggs? Eggs are another great way to acquire some vitamin D and have a number of other benefits too. They are nutrient dense containing vitamins A & B, plus they have a good dose of protein and healthy fats too.
Tips for making it achievable:
Eggs have been the subject of much debate in the nutrition world. Are they really healthy or not? Well, I say, yes! When consumed as part of healthy, balanced diet, of course. My advice for including some eggs in your diet are as follows:
- Consume the whole egg. You might have read about only consuming the egg yolk if you're keen to get some vitamin D, or otherwise, only having the white if you're, say, trying to avoid cholesterol or are on a diet – confusing!
Unless under doctor's orders, my advice is to include the whole egg. Whole foods tend to contain the perfect balance of nutrients, plus, when eaten as part of a wholefood diet including healthy fats and minimal refined sugars, we shouldn't really need to worry about fussing over specifics like that. - Get creative. If you aren't a fan of eggs on their own, why not try working them into sauces or other dishes so they are a little less obvious. Add a whisked egg near to the end of cooking to give your pasta dishes a lovely silky smooth, rich consistency, or add at a higher heat to a stir-fry dish for an 'egg-fried' feel.
4. Make room for mushrooms
Mushrooms are an excellent vegetarian and vegan source of vitamin D. Mushrooms are clever and acquire vitamin D from the sun much like we do and, therefore, we can benefit from this when we include them in our dinner – fancy!
Tips for making it achievable:
Mushrooms are another food option that aren't to everyone's taste but hopefully I can give you some pointers to help you squeeze some in, or at least increase the vitamin D potential for when you do!
- Make a soup. Mushrooms have quite a unique texture which not everyone loves. Why not try blitzing them into a soup so you don't notice so much? Flavours that go well with mushrooms include thyme and leeks, so be sure to add these to the base of your soup for a delicious end result. Add a splash of cream at the end of cooking to make it extra indulgent – yum!
- Look for high vitamin D mushroom options. Mushrooms tend to grow in dark and dingy forestry patches, so sometimes they don't quite get the chance to soak up too much vitamin D, although they have the potential. However, some manufacturers are onto this and include some sunbathing time for their mushrooms before they are sold to help up the vitamin D. So, look out for this massive selling point on packaging! Watch my self-care tip video below if you're keen to learn more.
My Self-Care Tip: Enjoy mushrooms to boost your vitamin D
I explain how mushrooms and especially those that have been exposed to sunlight, could be a novel way to boost your vitamin D levels.
5. Work on improving your digestion
Unfortunately, it isn't solely about spending enough time in the sun or including vitamin-D rich options in your diet; looking after your body is important for acquiring and making use of your vitamin D too. See, we rely on a number of bodily processes in order to help manufacture vitamin D from the sun, or convert vitamin D from our diet into the active form.
Tips for making it achievable:
- Improve your digestion. Any vitamin D from our diet firstly needs to be successfully absorbed in order for us to make use of it. This means having suitable strong stomach acid, plus having healthy liver functions in order to start converting vitamin D into its most active form.
- Look after your kidneys. Our kidneys are also involved in converting vitamin D into a suitably active form. Drinking enough water is one of the easiest ways you can help support your kidneys, and with minimal fuss.
- Watch your body weight. Whilst fad diets aren't the way forward, watching your weight could help you to hold on to more vitamin D. Fat cells are very good at mopping up our vitamin D meaning we have less available for its all-important functions.1
6. Take a supplement
Despite your best efforts, sometimes we just need an extra vitamin D supplement to help us along the way, especially if your hometown is rather lacking in sunshine! When it comes to vitamin D supplements my advice is as follows:
Tips for making it achievable:
- Don't go for too high a dose. If we take too much vitamin D (unless under doctor's orders), then we could run into similar problems as those people who don't have enough. So, in accordance with the Government advice, most people shouldn't need much more than 10ug or 400iu daily.
- Get some other nutrients whilst you're at it. If you find you are taking a number of different supplements in a bid to support your immune system, why not take an all-in-one, and be safe in the knowledge that you're still doing just that? Our Immune Support combines nutrients and herbal ingredients for some nice all-round support.
A.Vogel Immune Support Tablets with Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc, 30 tablets
7. Include some fortified foods
One last way you could help acquire some extra D is through the addition of some fortified foods in your diet. Here, ideally we'd like to strike the delicate balance of acquiring a little extra vitamin D whilst not adding too many processed foods into our diet so my advice for approaching this is as follows:
Tips for making it achievable:
- Don't scrimp on quality. Depending on where you are, certain foods might be fortified with vitamin D. This could include some options such as dairy foods, cereals, dairy-free milks or fruit juices. My advice is to just to have a quick browse of the ingredients list before diving right in. As a rule of thumb, any foods withs a vast ingredients list, (say, much more than 5 ingredients listed), perhaps isn't the best option as it suggests it has been quite highly processed.
- Eat fresh when you can. Rather than opting for something quite processed just for the sake of getting a good dose of vitamin D, my advice would be to eat fresh and add in an additional vitamin D supplement instead.
References
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32377370/
Product references:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6098779/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814608010868
Looking to support your immune system? Well, look no further!
