4 foods rich in vitamin D that you should eat every day

To provide enough vitamin D for the body, sunbathing properly is not enough, you need a healthy diet with lots of foods containing vitamin D - Illustration photo

MSc. Luu Lien Huong (Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine) said that vitamin D is provided to the body from two main sources: when the skin is exposed to sunlight and from food.

To meet the vitamin D needs, proper sunbathing is not enough, a healthy diet with many foods containing vitamin D is needed. However, regular foods have very low vitamin D content, only a few foods have high content.

MSc. Huong suggests common and easy-to-find food sources rich in vitamin D that should be added to daily meals.

Fatty fish

Fatty fish or oily fish are fish that contain a lot of fish oil in their tissues and in the abdominal cavity around the intestines. Small fatty fish include: sardines, herring, anchovies, flounder... Larger fatty fish include salmon, tuna, swordfish and mackerel.

Fatty fish is an excellent source of vitamin D, especially salmon.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams of farmed salmon contains 526 IU of vitamin D, which is up to 87% of the daily requirement for children over 1 year old and adults. The vitamin D content of salmon can vary significantly depending on the source.

In general, wild salmon has higher levels of vitamin D than farmed salmon. One study found that salmon caught in the Baltic Sea had vitamin D levels of 556–924 IU/100g, providing 92–154% of the daily vitamin D requirement.

Besides salmon, other fatty fish are also good sources of vitamin D.

According to USDA, the vitamin D content in some fatty fish is as follows: Mackerel: 643 IU vitamin D/100g; Salmon: 526 IU vitamin D/100g (farmed salmon); Herring: 345 IU vitamin D/100g;

Sardines: 270 IU vitamin D/100g; Tuna: 269 IU vitamin D/100g; Swordfish: 200 IU vitamin D/100g; Halibut: 190 IU vitamin D/100g; Anchovies: 82 IU vitamin D/100g.

Cod liver oil

Cod liver oil is an excellent source of vitamin D. With about 450 IU in a 5ml spoon, cod liver oil provides up to 56% of the daily requirement.

Cod liver oil has been used for many years to treat vitamin D deficiency, as well as as an adjunct treatment for rickets, psoriasis, and tuberculosis.

Cod liver oil is also rich in vitamin A, with 150% of the daily requirement in just one 5ml tablespoon. However, vitamin A can be toxic in high doses. The upper limit for safe vitamin A is 3,000 mcg.

One 5ml tablespoon of cod liver oil contains 1,350 mcg of vitamin A. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you do not exceed the safe limit when taking cod liver oil or any other vitamin A preparation.

Additionally, cod liver oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s play a role in heart health and reducing inflammation in the body. Along with fatty fish, cod liver oil is a good source of these fatty acids.

Eggs are a great source of nutrition - Illustration photo

Egg yolk

Eggs are a great source of nutrition, providing not only protein but also many other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D. While the majority of an egg's protein is found in the white, the yolk is packed with important nutrients like fat, vitamins, and minerals.

One egg yolk provides 37 IU of vitamin D, which is about 9.25% of the daily vitamin D requirement for children under 1 year old. However, the vitamin D content of egg yolks can vary depending on a number of factors, of which the living conditions of the hen are key.

Chickens raised outdoors, exposed to sunlight, have 3-4 times more vitamin D in their eggs than chickens raised indoors. Therefore, choosing eggs produced by chickens that are raised outdoors can be an effective way to supplement vitamin D in your daily diet.

Mushroom

Unlike most plants, mushrooms have the unique ability to synthesize vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, similar to the way the human body produces vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight. This process allows mushrooms to be one of the few plant sources of adequate vitamin D.

The specific type of vitamin D that mushrooms produce is vitamin D2, which is different from the animal-derived vitamin D3. Although some studies suggest that vitamin D3 may be more effective at raising blood levels of vitamin D, both D2 and D3 can still meet the body's needs.

The National Institute of Nutrition recommends vitamin D requirements for each subject as follows:

Children 0 - 11 months: 400 IU vitamin D3/day

1 year - 49 years: 600 IU vitamin D3/day

50 - over 70 years old: 800 IU vitamin D3/day

Pregnant and lactating women: 800 IU vitamin D3/day

According to nutrition experts, the source of vitamin D from food is quite small, only meeting about 10% of the body's needs, mainly in fish fat, fish oil, chicken eggs, mushrooms... 90% of the body's vitamin D needs are synthesized when the skin is directly exposed to sunlight.

To prevent vitamin D deficiency, in addition to supplementing vitamin D in the diet, you should sunbathe properly and increase physical exercise.

You just need to expose your hands and feet to sunlight for 15-30 minutes, around 8-10 am, or 4-5 pm, 2-3 times a week to help your body synthesize enough vitamin D.

To reduce the risk of skin cancer, cover up, wear sunscreen, and avoid going out during peak sun hours.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/4-loai-thuc-pham-cuc-giau-vitamin-d-nen-an-hang-ngay-20241008222129576.htm