Vitamin D is one of the essential micronutrients from the vitamins family that our body needs for various purposes such as absorption of calcium, bone development, supporting the immune system and promoting heart health. It is easily made by our body when we stay under the Sun so it is not hard to get the necessary amount of Vitamin D on a daily basis. An average healthy human being needs 600 to 800 IU (International Unit) of Vitamin D per day. This is roughly 20 minutes of staying under the Sun with more than 70% skin exposure. So, as you can see, it is not something very tough thing to do in a daily basis still there are many people who can’t get under the Sun due to their hectic schedule or the place they live in. If you are one of them then the only option is left for you if getting enough Vitamin D from foods. Finding the top 10 Vitamin D foods is not as easy as you might think!
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The reason behind this is, there are actually only a few food items that are rich in Vitamin D including several Vitamin D fortified foods that means food manufacturers add extra Vitamin D to these food items while processing to make them rich in this particular vitamin. Most of the fortified foods are dairy products while most of the natural foods rich in Vitamin D are either sea fishes or other non-veg food items like eggs or animal livers. Unfortunately, the quantity of Vitamin D in vegan food is really very limited but not null. We have tried our best to include the food items for all kinds of consumers in this list of top 10 Vitamin D foods. Without further ado, let’s get started.
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Cod Liver Oil
The reason we have included Cod liver oil in this list of top 10 Vitamin D foods is because it is a very affordable and easily available food supplement which is consumed by millions of people to fulfil their daily Omega-3 needs. If you wish to take any food supplement to get Vitamin D in the fastest way possible then taking Cod liver oil is the best idea.
2 capsules of total 5 grams contain more than 400 IU of Vitamin D which is a massive number and obviously way more than normal food sources. And, just like sea fishes, this food supplement is mainly known for its Omega-3 fatty acids which will help the vitamin to get absorbed well in the body.
Swordfish
Oily, fatty seawater fishes are not only high in Omega-3 but also high in Vitamin D. Swordfish is no exception. 100 grams or 3 Oz of Swordfish contain a whopping 666 IU of Vitamin D which not only is one of the highest amounts among all the natural food sources but also reaches the daily requirements of our body. That means, 100 grams of swordfish per day and you are good to go.
Rainbow Trout
Rainbow Trout is a freshwater fish but it contain more Vitamin D than most other food sources in the world. 100 grams of 3 Oz of Rainbow Trout contain 635 IU of Vitamin D that is not only an extraordinary amount but also reaches the daily needs! All you need to do is to consume 100 grams of this sweet fish daily to meet your requirements of Vitamin D. That’s why, it is no secret why it is placed in our list of top 10 Vitamin D foods.
Salmon
Salmon is another saltwater fatty fish that is very popular and widely renowned for its Omega-3 and protein contents. Just like Swordfish, this fish also contains outstanding amount of Vitamin D. 100 grams or 3 Oz of Salmon contain 570 IU of Vitamin D which is very close to reach what our body needs per day. The reasons why Salmon fish is preferred more than other fishes are because of its availability around the globe and its overall health benefits.
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Sardines
The last fish and also, seawater fish in our list of top 10 Vitamin D foods is Sardine. Sardine also contains an excellent amount of Vitamin D which one can consider in the daily diet. 100 grams or 3 Oz of Sardines contain almost 300 IU of Vitamin D. Obviously, it is not as impressive as other fishes but it is still a huge amount compared to dairy and other food sources of Vitamin D. Other fishes and sea foods like tuna, mackerel, shrimp etc. are also packed with decent amount of Vitamin D but these 3 fishes are filled with highest amount and thus, they are placed in our list.
White Mushrooms
White mushrooms are generally not rich in Vitamin D. 100 grams mushrooms contain like 7 UI of Vitamin D which is kind of non-existent. Then, why have we included it in our lost of top 10 Vitamin D foods? Well, it is because there is a simple and natural method to increase the Vitamin D of these mushrooms. If you put the mushrooms under the sun for a few hours, they will start to produce Vitamin D in their body and the amount of Vitamin D will raise from 7 UI to more than 350 UI per 100 grams of 3 Oz which is definitely an awesome quantity.
The more you will keep the mushrooms under the sun, the more they will produce Vitamin D in their body. But, a few hours under the sun is more than enough for our daily requirements. This is the reason why we recommend you to try white mushrooms (exposed to sunlight) for your daily need of Vitamin D.
Fortified Milk
It should not be any surprise that the foods that are rich in calcium should be rich in Vitamin D because of how related these two micronutrients are. Milk especially milk that is fortified with Vitamin D contains the highest amount of Vitamin D among all the dairy products. One cup or 236 ml of fortified milk contains 120 UI of Vitamin D. This is impressive because it is one of the best food items for this vitamin available for vegetarians.
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Fortified Soy Milk
For the vegans or vegetarians who are lactose intolerant, soy milk with the fortification of Vitamin D is one of the best option since it provides the same amount of Vitamin D the regular cow milk does per cup. Moreover, it is less in calories than regular milk which is a plus. That’s why fortified soy milk deserves to be in our list of top 10 Vitamin D foods.
Fortified Yogurt
Fortified yogurt may not provide as much Vitamin D as fortified milk does still it contains a decent amount. 6 Oz of Greek yogurt contains 88 UI of Vitamin D which should be a reasonable amount for you if you don’t have any other option near you. Other fortified dairy and cereal products like fortified tofu, fortified breakfast cereals are also quite good and rich in Vitamin D. They can be good alternatives for both milk and yogurt.
Fortified Orange Juice
Orange juice is already a very healthy food that most of us consume in a daily basis in our breakfast. And, with the fortification of Vitamin D, orange juice comes with a pretty good amount of this vitamin. A cup of fortified orange juice contain 99.6 UI of Vitamin D. It can be quite a good option for vegetarians and vegans.
Conclusion
Therefore, these are the top 10 Vitamin D foods which can be included in your daily diet to fulfil your requirement of Vitamin D. Still, if you get some time left then you can expose your body under the Sun for a few minutes daily in order to get Vitamin D naturally from the Sun. Even 5 minutes of exposure is not bad. Keep in mind, if you are getting Vitamin D both from food and from the Sun then keep a track of how much Vitamin D you are getting because, just like Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many health issues like rickets, poor hair growth, weak immune system, risk of cancer etc., overdose of Vitamin D can also lead to health issues such as hypercalcemia and kidney stones! So, keep in check that your body is getting between 600 to 800 or maximum 1000 IU of Vitamin D on a daily basis from either foods or sunlight or from both of them.
Just like every other vitamin and minerals, Vitamin D needs to be absorbed well in the body to function well and as it is fat-soluble, you need to eat fat to absorb it. Fats can boost the absorption by 50%. Fortunately, most of the foods from out list of top 10 Vitamin D foods are high in healthy fats too so you don’t need to consume extra fats from other sources. Moreover, eating a big meal also helps to absorb Vitamin D by 50%. These are all the things we thought you need to know while consuming foods high in Vitamin D. Hopefully, you have found this article about top 10 Vitamin D foods helpful enough. If it is really so then don’t hesitate to express your valuable thoughts in the comment section. Thanks for visiting and appreciating our work.