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Check nowCan you get vitamin D from diet?
Good food sources of vitamin D include oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, meat products such as offal, eggs, mushrooms and fortified foods. As well as getting vitamin D from your diet, other sources which together can help guarantee you get enough each day are sunlight and good quality supplements.
Dietary sources of vitamin D
Let's now take a look at these dietary sources of vitamin D, as well as some other methods which can help you top up your vitamin D levels further.
1. Oily fish
The flesh of oily fish is one of the most reliable food source of vitamin D. Unlike us, fish can't synthesize vitamin D and so they must acquire it solely from dietary sources including vitamin D-rich algae. They then store it up for when they need it. Types of oily fish which are vitamin-D assured include salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and trout. Fresh fish isn't a must, though, as tinned varieties of oily fish are also good options. So, tuna can definitely be added to the list.
Much like us, fish can also store fat-soluble nutrients in and around their liver, which is why cod liver oil supplements can also be a vitamin D-viable option. However, always check that any supplements you take are of good quality and consider that fish oil capsules taken from the 'flesh' of fish instead may be in some cases considered to be a 'cleaner' option. Remember, the livers of fish also filter out toxins from the sea.
2. Meat products such as offal
Again, much like us, animals store fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin D and so they can, in some cases, be a reliable food source of this nutrient.
Liver is by far the densest vitamin D storehouse, but if offal options don't tickle your fancy then other varieties of meat can contain some vitamin D.
Red meat, including pork, and let's not forget haggis, are some suitable options.
3. Eggs
Eggs are another suitable source of vitamin D. Whilst none of the food sources I'm listing here offer huge doses of vitamin D, consuming a variety of them consistently can certainly help to up your intake.
Eggs, particularly the fatty yolk, is rich in vitamin D. It also has the added bonus of having naturally-occurring fats in to actually help support the absorption of any fat-soluble nutrients – the bonus of eating real foods! And, of course, as a nutritionist I'd always say just to consume the whole egg, the egg white has its own unique nutritional properties to offer.
Please note, eggs from free-range chickens may have even higher levels of vitamin D as the chickens have been exposed to more lovely natural sunlight, so always go for this option.
4. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a perfect vegetarian and vegan food-source of vitamin D. Interestingly, mushrooms can also manufacture vitamin D from sunlight, and some varieties highest in naturally-occurring vitamin D can include maitake or shitake.
Ironically, fungi such as mushrooms tend to be happier growing in dark and dingy woodland spots, meaning they aren't always making the most of their vitamin D potential.
However, some mushroom manufacturers are cottoning on to this and have begun to put their mushrooms through some UV-light treatment before they are sold in order to help maximise their vitamin D content. Or, technically you could do this yourself and set up your very own sunbathing station for at least 20 minutes! How fun.
5. Fortified foods
As well as boosting the natural content of vitamin D, such as with UV-treated mushrooms, some foods have been manipulated further and have been fortified with different nutrients including vitamin D.
You'll need to read the ingredients list and packaging to help confirm which actually contain vitamin D in particular, and there can be some regional variations. Still, some options to consider looking out for, include:
- Dairy foods including milk and yoghurts (not so much in the UK)
- Non-dairy milk alternatives including soy, almond, coconut or rice milks
- Fruit juices
- Cereals
Just be sure to weigh up the pros and cons of consuming lots of processed foods in order to get sufficient vitamin D. In some cases, fresh foods and a good quality vitamin D supplement may be a preferable option.
What about getting vitamin D from the sun?
Whilst there are some good food sources of vitamin D, sunshine exposure is by far the best way you get enough of this important nutrient. We can never get too much sunshine in terms of your vitamin D levels and you can store plentiful vitamin D for some time after you've been in the sun.
Then, the other option to consider for acquiring enough vitamin D, of course, is by taking a supplement.
Should I be taking a vitamin D supplement?
Depending on a person's dietary preferences, plus their ability to be exposed to adequate sunshine all year round, consuming enough or manufacturing enough vitamin D from the sun may be difficult.
Most of the food options I've mentioned already, including one portion of meat, eggs or oily fish, would typically provide approximately 1µg or 40iu of vitamin D. In reality, we'd hope to get around 5-10 times that amount each day. That's why, in line with government recommendations in the UK, most of us should consider taking an additional supplement of up to 10µg or 400iu.
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Remember, vitamin D is an essential vitamin required by the body for a number of processes, including the correct absorption of calcium, maintaining bone health, modulating immune functions and countering inflammation, so, we really want to be getting enough!
