Food Sources for Vitamin D

Your body needs vitamin D to help it absorb calcium. Vitamin D helps to keep your bones growing and strong. Getting adequate amounts of vitamin D helps to prevent rickets in children and osteoporosis and osteomalacia in adults. This vitamin is also involved in the proper functioning of the nervous and immune system. The main source of vitamin D is from natural sunlight. It is also available in supplements. There are also some foods that contain vitamin D to help you get the required amount.

Adequate Levels

From birth to 50 years old, a healthy intake of vitamin D is 5 micrograms daily. Between the ages of 51 and 70,you need to get 10 micrograms. If you are over age 70, you need 15 micrograms every day.

Best Food Sources

Fish that are fatty such as salmon, tuna, oysters and mackerel contain vitamin D. This is especially true if you eat the fleshy part of the fish.

Additional Food Sources

Other food sources of vitamin D include beef, liver, cheese, mushrooms and egg yolks. However the amount of vitamin D in these foods is minimal.

Fortified Foods

The best way to get vitamin D from your food intake is through eating foods that are fortified. This includes milk, cereal, some fruit juices especially orange juice, and some milk products such as yogurt, cream and margarine. For safety the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates how much vitamin D can be added to foods.

Warning

You can get too much vitamin D. This can lead to the body absorbing to much calcium. Too much calcium can lead to problems in the heart, lungs and can cause kidney stones.

Resources

• National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements
• Medline Plus
• American Dietetic Association