Easy ways to increase your Vitamin D intake

Vitamin D deficiency is becoming common in both young and elderly with people largely following a sedentary lifestyle, and neglecting the important nutrients in their daily diet. Lack of Vitamin D can impact several aspects of our well-being, considering the nutrient is important in a range of important functions. Low Vitamin D levels impact calcium and phosphorous absorption which can increase the risk of bone-related problems like osteoporosis. It also causes muscle pain and weakness. The deficiency of Vitamin D is also linked to depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. A study published in UK Biobank found that Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased mortality for total cancers and four specific cancers.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is naturally present in certain foods like oily fish, red meat, and liver and can be added to others by way of fortification. Sunlight can help us get Vitamin D as ultraviolet (UV) rays can trigger vitamin D synthesis.



Here are easy ways to boost your Vitamin D intake:

1. Enjoy morning sunlight in your balcony

If you don't get time to step outdoors for your daily dose of Vitamin D, you can get some sunshine by standing or sitting in your balcony. Early morning sunshine promotes Vitamin D production and boosts your serotonin levels too which can improve sleep quality. It is advised to get sun exposure for around 5 to 30 minutes a day.

2. Add fatty fish to your diet

Looking for a food that drastically enhances your Vitamin D consumption? Non-vegetarians can opt for fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, and mackerel, which are considered an amazing source of Vitamin D. Just 99 grams of cooked salmon contains about 600-1000 IU of Vitamin D, which is more than the daily recommended amount for most people.

3. Include mushroom

If you are a vegetarian, and wonder what could be the ideal food for you to increase Vitamin D intake, you could consider mushroom. Mushrooms produce vitamin D when exposed to UV light and certain varieties such as wild maitake mushrooms have as much as 2,348 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving.

4. Try fortified foods

To increase your vitamin D intake, you can choose to buy Vitamin D-fortified foods. Fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micronutrients to food like vitamins and minerals. According to the journal Nutrient, foods that are fortified with vitamin D have around 100 IU per serving. Consumption of vitamin D fortified foods, especially milk, can increase the vitamin D intake. You can also add fortified cereal to your milk.

5. Tofu and paneer

You can choose to eat either of the two depending on your dietary preferences as the former is for vegans while the latter can be enjoyed by vegetarians. Both of them are a good source of Vitamin D and eating them regularly can improve your calcium, Vitamin C, B12 and Vitamin A intake.

Apart from these foods egg yolk is also a brilliant source of Vitamin D. It can be added in a variety of dishes as emulsifier and otherwise. The yolk from one large egg contains 37 IU of vitamin D, or 5% of the DV.

Vitamin D intake can be increased conveniently with these easy dietary and lifestyle changes. It's important to add this crucial nutrient to your diet for overall well-being.

When you have a Vitamin D deficiency, you need additional supplements apart from the foods rich in the nutrient. It is important to consult your healthcare expert.

Taking more than the recommended amount of Vitamin D can however be problematic and cause severe health issues. According to experts, around 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months can cause toxicity. The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults is 600 IU of vitamin D a day.

Also known as hypervitaminosis, too much Vitamin D can be life-threatening. This is mostly caused by excess of dietary supplements and hardly from foods or sunlight.
Vitamin D toxicity doesn't happen by consuming foods high in Vitamin D and is usually caused by supplementation. According to Brazilian Journal of Nephrology, unintentional vitamin D poisoning has also been associated with overfortification of milk, poisoning by table sugar, and contamination of cooking oil.