What Is Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced by our body when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunlight. It is also present in some foods, which should be a part of your diet to maintain adequate vitamin D levels in your body.
Some of the benefits of this vitamin include being responsible for maintaining adequate concentrations of calcium and phosphate, which are the key to the health of our bones. It also enables our immune system to function normally.
Major Role Of Vitamin D In Our Body:
Vitamin D plays a major role in protecting against cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, autoimmune disease and depression. It also helps in bone health as well as in immune, nerve and muscle function. Vitamin D has other role in body including modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function and inflammation reduction.New Youtube Video:
How Many Minutes Of Sun Do You Need For Vitamin D
Regular sun exposure is the most natural way to get enough vitamin D. To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get 1030 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week. People with darker skin may need a little more than this. Your exposure time should depend on how sensitive your skin is to sunlight.
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What Fruits And Vegetables Are High In Vitamin D
Vegetables high in vitamin D include mushrooms which have been exposed to sunlight. Other vegan foods high in vitamin D include fortified soy products like tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt, fortified cereals, and fortified juices.
Unfortunately, no fruits are high in vitamin D, and fortified orange juice is currently the only fruit product commonly sold with vitamin D.
Cereal Can Be Fortified With Vitamin D And Oatmeal Offers Fiber
A packet of unsweetened, fortified oatmeal can add a solid dose of vitamin D to your diet. Ready-to-eat fortified cereal typically gives you 40 IU of vitamin D per serving, per the NIH, but it may provide more if you choose a more heavily fortified cereal, like Raisin Bran, which has 60.2 IU per cup, notes the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fortified cereal can be a solid base for a nutrient-rich, high-fiber meal especially if you add fortified low-fat or fat-free milk to your bowl for an extra 60 IU per half cup. Or you can be more adventurous and make a breakfast cookie that includes both fortified cereal and vitamin Dfortified margarine.
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Does Spinach Have Vitamin D
The amount is surely less, but eggs are easily available and are also delicious. Also, dont forget to eat the yolk as thats where Vitamin D is. Those not fond of dairy can resort to spinach for their intake of calcium. One cup of cooked spinach contains as much as 25% of your daily recommended intake of calcium.
Vitamin D Sources For Vegans And Vegetarians
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, as well as in immune, nerve, and muscle function. In addition, it may play a role in protecting against cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and depression. Most children and adults need 600 IU of Vitamin D per day, though older adults need a bit more.
The Sunshine Vitamin
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies can actually make and absorb vitamin D from sun exposure. According to the NIH, 5 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen is usually enough to help boost vitamin D intake. This process varies widely depending on the season, time of day, cloud cover, skin color, and sunscreen use, so eating food sources of vitamin D is also important.
If you arent able to get outdoors in the middle of the day or if youre concerned that youre not getting enough vitamin D, include these foods in your diet:
Vegan Vitamin D Food Sources
| Food |
|---|
| 6 |
Do I need a supplement?
As with all dietary supplements, its important to discuss vitamin D supplementation with your healthcare provider, especially if youre vegan. Your healthcare provider can help you determine how much supplementation is right for you. Vegans may be at greater risk for low vitamin D intake, but they can obtain vitamin D from regular exposure to sun and fortied foods.
Kelly Toups, Director of Nutrition
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Vitamins D Rich Food:
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that are naturally present in few foods. These are few food items which have good source of vitamin D. Cereal, whole milk, oatmeal, beef liver, orange, oyster, egg, goat cheese, mushroom, swiss cheese, pork tenderloin, canned salmon, cod liver oil, sardian, shrimp, butter etc.
Berries:
Pineapples:
Oranges:
Shiitake mushroom:
Pumpkin And Sweet potato:
Avocado:
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Top 10 Most Vitamin D Rich Foods
Per portion: 440 Per 100g: 9,780
Per portion: 400 Per 100g: 470
Per portion: 270 Per 100g: 270
Per portion: 154 Per 100g: 181
Per portion: 68 Per 100g: 30
Per portion: 52 Per 100g: 168
Per portion: 41 Per 100g: 73
Per portion: 40 Per 100g: 53
Per portion: 33 Per 100g: 116
Per portion: 30 Per 100g: 300
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Recommended Daily Intake Of Vitamin D
The recommended daily values for all the nutrients are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes, developed by the Food and Nutrition Board . The Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamin D are based on the daily requirements of healthy people.
Since people produce different amounts of this vitamin under sunlight, these values were established for minimal sun exposure. So if youve been looking for the answer to the question How much vitamin D should I take? you should know that this depends on your age and sex.
The RDAs for this vitamin are presented below:
- from birth to 12 months 10 mcg
- from 1 to 70 years 15 mcg
- 70+ years 20 mcg
The RDAs for vitamin D are given in International Units and micrograms , where 1 mcg is equal to 40 IU.
Fruits And Vegetables High In Vitamin D
While the best way to get vitamin D is from the sun, sometimes it isnt possible to get the daily requirement in this way due to factors including the strength of the sunlight on any given day, skin color , distance from the equator, age, and other variables.
So can you get vitamin D from fruits and vegetables? The fact is that no fruit contains vitamin D and mushrooms are the only vegetable that contains it.
A serving of typical white button mushrooms contains a small amount of vitamin D2, which is about 4% of the recommended daily value. However, when mushrooms are exposed to ultraviolet B radiation, their vitamin D content goes up dramatically. Some companies are now growing special vitamin-D rich mushrooms using this process. For example, Dole has some portobello mushrooms on the market that provide 100 percent of the daily recommended daily intake of vitamin D per serving.
All other food sources of vitamin D are animal in origin like beef, sardines, salmon, shrimp, eggs, butter, goat cheese, chicken livers, sour cream, and milk. Also, some foods like milk and orange juice are fortified with vitamin D.
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Highest Amount Of Vitamin A Per Serving
Please remember that the above gives an accurate value in 100g for high vitamin a foods in your diet. You should also take into account portion sizes when you are considering the vitamin a nutritional content.
The food with the highest vitamin a content per typical serving is Melons, cantaloupe, raw which contains 299.13 mcg in 1 cup, balls . The percentage of the recommended daily value for this serving is 10 %. For this serving the Calories content is 60.18 kcal , the Protein content is 1.49 g , the Fat content is 0.34 g and the Carbohydrate content is 14.44 g .
Signs Of Deficiency And Toxicity
Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency may occur from a lack in the diet, poor absorption, or having a metabolic need for higher amounts. If one is not eating enough vitamin D and does not receive enough ultraviolet sun exposure over an extended period , a deficiency may arise. People who cannot tolerate or do not eat milk, eggs, and fish, such as those with a lactose intolerance or who follow a vegan diet, are at higher risk for a deficiency. Other people at high risk of vitamin D deficiency include:
- People with inflammatory bowel disease or other conditions that disrupt the normal digestion of fat. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that depends on the guts ability to absorb dietary fat.
- People who are obese tend to have lower blood vitamin D levels. Vitamin D accumulates in excess fat tissues but is not easily available for use by the body when needed. Higher doses of vitamin D supplementation may be needed to achieve a desirable blood level. Conversely, blood levels of vitamin D rise when obese people lose weight.
- People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, which typically removes the upper part of the small intestine where vitamin D is absorbed.
Conditions resulting from prolonged vitamin D deficiency:
Toxicity
Symptoms of toxicity:
- Weight loss
- Irregular heart beat
- Hardening of blood vessels and tissues due to increased blood levels of calcium, potentially leading to damage of the heart and kidneys
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Does Avocado Contain Vitamin D
Avocados are a healthy fruit, and one of the good fats. Theyre a great source of a number of nutrients, including many of the letter vitamins, like vitamins C, E, K and some of the Bs. But you wont find that essential vitamin in avocados. However, when it comes to fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin D, avocados play an important role. They help your body absorb nutrients like vitamin D. So, theres that!
Why You Need Vitamin D3
It’s important not to take too much vitamin D. Vitamin D toxicity is rare but can be serious, resulting in symptoms ranging from nausea to bone pain and kidney stones.
A deficiency of vitamin D can have serious consequences in the body. Vitamin D is vital for these reasons:
1. Bone Health
Doctors discovered vitamin D when they were studying rickets, a children’s bone disorder. Today rickets is rare, but vitamin D is still needed for bone health. It’s especially important for women past menopause, who are at risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin D is also used to treat a more serious bone condition called osteomalacia . Vitamin D allows the body to absorb calcium. Without vitamin D, the body uses only a small percentage of the calcium in food.
Continued
2. Anti-Cancer Properties
Higher levels of vitamin D in the blood are associated with lower levels of some cancers, including colorectal,prostate, and pancreatic. In animal studies, vitamin D was associated with fewer tumors and slower growth of tumors. Clinical trials in humans suggest that vitamin D may not prevent cancer but may slow its progress.
3. Brain Health
Low levels of vitamin D may be a risk factor for various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Animal studies and cell studies have shown a connection, but the results of clinical trials have been mixed. Further research is needed.
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Foods That Contain Vitamin D3
Vitamin D is important for bone health and is linked to reduced rates of Alzheimer’s disease, strokes and cancers.
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because it is produced in the skin by ultraviolet rays from the sun. Gray skies, weak winter sun, sunscreen use and an indoor lifestyle mean that most of us are lacking in this essential vitamin.
Fortified Orange Juice Can Give You A Healthy Start To The Day
One cup of fortified orange juice can add up to 137 IU of vitamin D to your daily total, though the NIH recommends checking the label for exact numbers because counts can vary. Serve a glass of OJ with breakfast or use it in this mango-strawberry smoothie recipe, a delicious and portable morning meal. Keep in mind that its generally healthiest to enjoy whole fruit rather than its juice form, since the former still contains filling fiber, so drink juice in moderation. If you have a health condition for which you need to watch your carbohydrate and sugar intake, such as diabetes, it may be best to get your vitamin D from another source. Work with your healthcare team to figure out how much, if any, OJ is right for your diet.
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Easy To Add To Your Diet
Cod liver oil is incredibly easy to add to your diet. It comes in many forms, but liquid and capsule forms are the most common.
There are no set guidelines for cod liver oil intake, so most recommendations are based on safe intake levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and D.
A common dose is often 12 teaspoons, but taking up to one tablespoon per day is usually safe. Higher doses are not recommended, as they would result in excess vitamin A intake (
May Reduce Heart Disease Risk
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting over 17.5 million people annually .
Studies have shown people who regularly eat fish have a much lower risk of heart disease. This effect can be attributed to its omega-3 fatty acid content (
- 43 ).
While taking fish oil supplements like cod liver oil may reduce risk factors for heart disease, there is little evidence that it can prevent heart disease or strokes .
Unfortunately, few studies have specifically examined the association of cod liver oil and heart diseas, as many studies classify cod liver oil as regular fish oil.
Thus, more specific research on cod liver oil and heart disease risk factors are needed to make a clear link between the two.
Summary:
Cod liver oil may help reduce risk factors for heart disease. Studies specifically on cod liver oil and heart disease risk factors are needed, as most studies group cod liver oil with regular fish oils.
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How Much Vitamin D Do I Need
Most people get as much vitamin D as they need from sunlight. If you get enough sunlight, you probably dont need to worry about extra vitamin D in your diet.
However, some people dont get enough even in a sunny country like Australia. Those most at risk are older people, especially if they live in residential care and dont get outdoors very often.
Others who might not get enough vitamin D from sunlight are those with darker skin, who cover up for cultural or religious reasons, who wear protective clothing, and who avoid the sun, for example because they have had skin cancer. Obese people, babies of mothers who dont have enough vitamin D, and people with certain medical conditions or on some medicines may also be at risk of low vitamin D.
The amount of vitamin D you need varies with your age:
- Everybody under the age of 50 needs 5 micrograms each day . A microgram is one millionth of a gram.
- People aged 51 to 70 need 10 µg/day .
- People 71 and over need 15.0 µg /day .
Mushrooms Produce Vitamin D When Exposed To Sunlight
Mushrooms, which contain a pro-vitamin known as ergosterol, are unique in that they’re the only vegetable that can produce vitamin D. Ergosterol helps them generate the vitamin when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
Nutritional value differs depending on whether a mushroom was commercially cultivated or grown in the wild where it can absorb ample sunlight. Portabellas, a commercial variety, contain 976 IU per diced cup after being exposed to ultraviolet light, according to the USDA Food Composition Databases. Wild mushrooms already contain a high amount of vitamin D when they’re harvested. A cup of diced maitake, for instance, offers 786 IU.
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How To Increase Haemoglobin Levels With Fruit
Haemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that help your blood carry oxygen through your body. Iron is necessary to make haemoglobin, so if you have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, there are not enough of these helpers in the blood to distribute oxygen, which is why people lacking in iron feel tired and worn out all the time.
With your doctor’s support, It’s possible to address an iron deficiency by making a few changes to your diet. It won’t provide overnight results, but within four to six weeks of adding iron-rich foods to your diet, your blood will regenerate and replenish itself. Give yourself at least one or two months to achieve healthy iron levels.
These ten fruits are rich in iron and will help bring your haemoglobin levels up. There are also iron-rich vegetables, including peas, parsley, and garbanzo beans. Find a link to another article about veggies that are rich in iron at the end of this article.
