Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for health and vitality. It helps maintain healthy teeth and bones, muscle function and immunity. It also plays a role in the process of cell division.
Let’s take a look at its various sources.
First and foremost, vitamin D can be produced by the body under the action of the sun’s rays. Exposing the skin to solar UVB radiation triggers production of vitamin D3, which is subsequently converted in the liver and kidneys into an active hormone, calcitriol.
The sun represents the body’s most important source of vitamin D but in order to be effective, our skin needs to be exposed to it on a regular basis.
A period of 15-30 minutes of exposure a day, especially on the arms and legs, is usually enough to prevent deficiency. However, sun-induced synthesis of vitamin D is heavily influenced by certain factors:
While exposure to the sun is important for promoting vitamin D synthesis, it is not without risk. Protect yourself from ultraviolet rays by wearing good-quality sunglasses, a hat and sun cream (but be aware that applying a cream with too high an SPF throughout the day will also inhibit production of vitamin D) (2).
Sun exposure is not the only way of increasing our vitamin D levels. This vitamin is found in several foods.
These are particularly beneficial for preventing deficiency (lack of vitamin D is one of the most common deficiencies in the world), especially during the colder seasons and in regions with low levels of sunlight.
It’s worth knowing that vitamin D2 (or ergocalciferol, from plant sources) is distinct from vitamin D3 (or cholecalciferol, primarily from animal sources). Vitamin D3 is more bioavailable to the body and is also the form we naturally produce when our skin is exposed to the sun.
Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines are the best food sources of vitamin D3 (3-4). Wild salmon usually contains the most vitamin D but the amount varies depending on where, and at what time of year, the fish was caught.
Cod liver oil is also known to be a highly-concentrated source of vitamin D.
Containing more modest levels, offal such as beef liver, and egg yolks are also reasonable sources of vitamin D3.
Be aware that the animal’s diet and their own exposure to the sun affects the amount of vitamin D present in their tissues or eggs.
Certain (rare) mushrooms such as chanterelle, shiitake, and maitake, are natural sources of vitamin D2.
Their D2 content varies depending on how they are grown and produced. It is affected by the amount and duration of their exposure to UVB rays (some commercially-grown mushrooms are cultivated exclusively in the dark and are thus low in vitamin D).
Many products including regular milk, orange juice, plant milks and breakfast cereals may be enriched with vitamin D2 or D3.
Always check the nutritional information on product labels.
When exposure to the sun and diet fail to provide enough vitamin D, many people turn to dietary supplements to significantly boost their intake.
But which one should you choose? First and foremost, we’d recommend opting for one that contains vitamin D3, the most absorbable form for the body.
Various doses are available depending on your particular needs:
References
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