Eating Vitamin D foods is essential for every single individual because this vitamin helps a lot when it comes to proper calcium absorption. For kids, insufficient Vitamin D can affect the development of their bodies. In worse cases, it could lead to diseases such as Rickets which weakens their bones and makes it difficult for the child to support their own weight. For older people, lack of Vitamin D could instigate the development of osteoporosis.
One way of obtaining ample amount of Vitamin D in our bodies is to get proper sun exposure, particularly the early morning sunlight. The sunlight helps promote the natural production of Vitamin D on our skin. However, since most people these days are barely able to spend enough time outdoors, it is important to eat Vitamin D foods to sustain the needs of our body.
To be able to avoid the diseases which can be developed due to lack of this essential vitamin, here are some of the Vitamin D foods that you need to add in your diet.
• Raw Milk or Milk with Fortified Vitamin D3- During the process of pasteurization, much of the natural Vitamin D is destroyed. Hence, there are milk brands which are particularly made to have fortified Vitamin D so that there is still sufficient amount of this vitamin in every serving. Raw meat is a good choice too since this has not gone through any processes that could break down the natural Vitamin D content. One to two glasses of milk a day will already be sufficient.
Dairy products like butter, cheese and eggs- Just like milk, these products also contain high amounts of Vitamin D. These are excellent supplements if you are unable to get sufficient sun exposure. However, it has to be noted that these food would not fully make-up for the amount of Vitamin D that can be obtained from sunlight. So, it is either you still spend some time under the sun or really pay attention to the food that you eat.
• Fish like Mackerel, Salmon and other types of fatty fish- The high amount of Vitamin D in these foods is quite impressive. Indulging in just about 3 ounces of these types of fish will already provide you with 400 IU of Vitamin D.
• Liver of beef, chicken or pork- Among the organ meats, the liver is the part which contains the highest amount of Vitamin D. So, incorporating it in your regular diet will help in preventing deficiencies.
• Fish oils and cod liver oil- If you already have Vitamin D deficiency or you know that you have not been eating sufficient amount of Vitamin D foods, it is best to start ingesting these oils. This is preferred for effective solution to Vitamin D deficiency because a single tablespoon of cod liver oil already has 1,360 IU.
There are also other Vitamin D foods which are simply fortified. However, it is still best to get this vitamin in its rawest form by eating natural food sources. The word ‘natural’ has been thrown out a lot in different foods which are actually processed. So, be a little more careful when it comes to the type of food and drinks that you incorporate in your daily diet.
