Food herb

Sources And Benefits Of Vitamin D

The importance of vitamin D cannot be overemphasized. For most people, its one of the things parents ring into their ears at a very tender age, forcing them to play outside instead of staying inside with their toys. Sufficient vitamin D in the body helps prevent conditions like osteoporosis and rickets. In addition to this, it helps keep the immune system in optimal condition and aids the absorption of minerals like magnesium and calcium through the gut.

Here are the top sources of vitamin D.

Sunlight

The sun is the source of sustaining all life on earth. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, the body produces large amounts of vitamin D. Except for rare cases like locations where temperatures are extremely low and the sun doesn’t always come up (non-tropical regions) or for people living with skin conditions; studies have shown that the body can produce almost the vitamin D it needs from spending 10 minutes in the sun daily.

Fish oils

This might not be a favourite for people because of the way they smell, but fish oils are a very potent source of vitamin D. The reason why this list specifically mentions fish oils and not fish itself is because with the oils the vitamin D content is more concentrated. Taking daily supplements on fish oils like cod liver oil will increase the body’s vitamin D content substantially.

Fish

As mentioned above, fish is a very important source of vitamin D and should not be ignored. Beyond its vitamin D content, fish also has extra health benefits like proteins and fats which help build the body and keep it healthy. Fishes that are high in vitamin D include trout and mackerel.

Eggs

Eggs are unique because of their ability to blend with other foods and enhance their vitamin D content. It is also important to note that most healthy fat sources also contain a high concentration of vitamin D. Also, make sure you eat the yolk because that’s where most of nutrients are.

Raw Milk

Raw milk or cow’s milk has a high concentration of vitamin D. With milk, one has to be very careful the brand or type of milk they consume because they all do not have the same concentration of vitamin D. For instance, in skimmed or sweetened milk, the vitamin D content varies substantially. Also, milk derivates like cheese and yoghurts have little or no vitamin D.

Photo Credit: SmallJoys

By Billy Praise