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Are you getting enough vitamin D from your diet? It’s key for strong bones, fighting off sickness, and more. Yet, many people don’t get enough from food alone.
Want to up your vitamin D intake? Start by adding more vitamin D rich foods to your diet. We’ll look at the best food for vitamin D in this article. You’ll learn why it’s crucial and how to get plenty of this essential nutrient.
Significance of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is very important for our health. It is often called the “sunshine vitamin.” This vitamin has many vitamin D benefits for our body, not just the famous ones.
Bone Health and Muscle Strength
Vitamin D functions are key for strong bones. It helps the body use calcium and phosphorus. This makes our bones healthy and strong. Without enough vitamin D, we might develop rickets or osteomalacia.
It also helps keep our muscles strong. Vitamin D helps make proteins for muscle movement. This allows us to move well.
Immune Function
Vitamin D is crucial for our immune system. It aids in keeping us healthy by supporting immune cells. These cells fight off harmful germs.
People with enough vitamin D may get sick less. This is because vitamin D helps the immune system work right.
Potential Role in Disease Prevention
New studies suggest that vitamin D and health are connected. Enhancing vitamin D levels might lower risks of several illnesses. These include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and problems with thinking.
But, many more studies are needed. They will show for certain how vitamin D helps prevent diseases.
Recommended Intake and Sources
Keeping up with enough vitamin D is key to staying healthy. Most adults need about 600 IU of it every day. For those over 70, it goes up to 800 IU. But too much D can also cause problems, so it’s good to watch how much you get.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
The RDA is the dose that should do the trick for nearly everyone. For adults up to age 70, that’s 600 IU each day. It grows to 800 IU for older adults. These levels are set to keep bones strong and the body working well.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Getting enough vitamin D is important, but overdoing it can be bad. Adults should not take more than 4,000 IU daily. Too much D can cause problems like too much calcium in the blood. This can lead to other health issues.
Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency
Many people all over the world do not get enough vitamin D. About 1 billion folks of all ages and races have this issue. In the U.S., low D levels are common, with about 20% of White adults and 75% of Black adults lacking. Lack of sunlight, what we eat, and some health conditions play a part.
best food for vitamin d
I like to keep my vitamin D levels in check. So, I always look for foods rich in this nutrient. Since the sun may not be enough, it’s key to focus on foods. This is especially true when sunshine is less available, like in winter. Or if you don’t get outside much.
Fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, are top choices for vitamin D. Just a 3.5-ounce piece of cooked salmon gives you more than 100% of what you need daily. And egg yolks are also a good source. One large egg has around 20% of your daily value.
Mushrooms can be great if they’re treated with UV light. Mushrooms like portobello and maitake have a lot of vitamin D after being under UV light. Plus, dairy products that are fortified with vitamin D can help. So, drink milk, eat yogurt, and have orange juice with added D to boost your levels.