However, up to 50% of the world's population may not get enough sun. This is partly because people spend more time indoors, wear sunblock outside, and eat a Western diet low in good sources of this vitamin.
The recommended daily value (DV) is 800 IU (20 mcg) of vitamin D per day from foods. If you don't get enough sunlight, your intake should likely be closer to 1,000 IU (25 mcg) per day.
Importance of Vitamin D and calcium
Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium, which plays a key role in maintaining bone strength and skeletal integrity.
Getting enough of both vitamin D and calcium is crucial to maintaining bone health and protecting against disorders like osteoporosis, a condition that is characterized by weak, brittle bones.
Children and adults aged 1–70 need approximately 600 IU of vitamin D per day, and it can come from a combination of food sources and sunlight. Meanwhile, adults over 70 should aim for at least 800 IU (20 mcg) of vitamin D per day.
The daily value (DV), a rating system used on the labels of packaged food, is 800 IU per day. Calcium needs also vary by age. Children aged 1–8 require about 2,500 mg of calcium daily, and those ages 9–18 need approximately 3,000 mg daily.
Adults ages 19–50 generally require about 2,500 mg daily, which decreases to 2,000 mg daily for those over age 50.
FOODS WE FIND VITAMIN D? - HERE ARE SOME FOODS
Salmon
Salmon is a popular fatty fish and great source of vitamin D. Wild salmon contains about 988 IU of vitamin D per serving, while farmed salmon contains 250 IU, on average. That is 124% and 32% of the DV, respectively.
Herring and sardines
Herring is a fish eaten around the world. It can be served raw, canned, smoked, or pickled.
This small fish is also one of the best sources of vitamin D. Herrings contain 216 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounces (100-gram) serving. Pickled herring, sardines, and other fatty fish, such as halibut and mackerel, are also good sources
Cod liver oil
Cod liver oil is a popular supplement. If you don't like fish, taking cod liver oil can be key to obtaining certain nutrients that are unavailable in other sources.
It’s an excellent source of vitamin D — at about 448 IU per teaspoon (4.9 ml), it clocks in at a massive 56% of the DV
In addition, cod liver oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which many people are deficient in.
Egg yolks
People who don't eat fish should know that seafood is not the only source of vitamin D. Whole eggs are another good source, as well as a wonderfully nutritious food.
While most of the protein in an egg is found in the white, the fat, vitamins, and minerals are found mostly in the yolk.
One typical egg yolk contains 37 IU of vitamin D, or 5% of the DV. Vitamin D levels in egg yolk depend on sun exposure and the vitamin D content of chicken feed. When given the same feed, pasture-raised chickens that roam outside in the sunlight produce eggs with levels 3–4 times higher.
Additionally, eggs from chickens given vitamin-D-enriched feed may have up to 6,000 IU of vitamin D per yolk. That’s a whopping 7 times the DV.
Choosing eggs either from chickens raised outside or marketed as high in vitamin D can be a great way to meet your daily requirements.
Mushrooms
Excluding fortified foods, mushrooms are the only good plant source of vitamin D.
Like humans, mushrooms can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to UV light.
However, mushrooms produce vitamin D2, whereas animals produce vitamin D3.
Though vitamin D2 helps raise blood levels of vitamin D, it may not be as effective as vitamin D
The bottom line
Spending time in the sun is a good way to get your daily dose of vitamin D. However, sufficient sun exposure is difficult for many people to achieve.
Getting enough from your diet alone may be difficult, but not impossible. The foods listed in this article are some of the top sources of vitamin D available .Eating plenty of these vitamin-D-rich foods is a great way to make sure you get enough of this important nutrient.
Side Effects of Too Much Vitamin D
However, it's also possible — although rare — for this vitamin to build up and reach toxic levels in your body.
Deficiency and toxicity
Vitamin D is involved in calcium absorption, immune function, and protecting bone, muscle, and heart health. It occurs naturally in food and can also be produced by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight.
Yet, aside from fatty fish, there are few food rich in vitamin D. What's more, most people don't get enough sun exposure to produce adequate vitamin D. Thus, deficiency is very common. In fact, it's estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide don't get enough of this vitamin.
Supplements are very common, and both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 can be taken in supplement form. Vitamin D3 is produced in response to sun exposure and is found in animal products, whereas vitamin D2 occurs in plants.
Vitamin D3 has been found to increase blood levels significantly more than D2. Studies have shown that each additional 100 IU of vitamin D3 you consume per day will raise your blood vitamin D levels by 1 ng/ml (2.5 nmol/l), on average.
However, taking extremely high doses of vitamin D3 for long periods may lead to excessive buildup in your body.
Vitamin D intoxication occurs when blood levels rise above 150 ng/ml (375 nmol/l). Because the vitamin is stored in body fat and released into the bloodstream slowly, the effects of toxicity may last for several months after you stop taking supplements.
Importantly, toxicity isn't common and occurs almost exclusively in people who take long-term, high-dose supplements without monitoring their blood levels.
It's also possible to inadvertently consume too much vitamin D by taking supplements that contain much higher amounts than are listed on the label.
6 MAIN SIDE EFFECTS
- Elevated Blood Levels
- Elevated Blood Calcium Levels
- Nausea, vomiting and poor appetite
- Stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea
- Bone loss
- Kidney Failure
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