Vitamin D has gotten a lot of positive publicity. Lets explore the top 10 Vitamin D foods you should be adding to your diet. There are many reasons for this:
- This fat-soluble vitamin has long been associated with bone health because it helps the body absorb calcium and has been shown to protect older adults from osteoporosis.
- Vitamin D is linked to immunity support and can also help protect against major diseasesBut exactly how much of the important nutrient should you be getting on a daily basis anyway?
- Professor in the department of nutrition science at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana,James Fleet, PhD, a says most adults need about 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day (that number increases to 800 IU once you hit age 70, according to the NIH).
"Vitamin D is so important that our bodies have figured out a way to make it from sunlight," Fleet says. The body will begin vitamin D synthesis when the sun’s ultraviolet B rays hit the skin.
Research
Research suggests that going out in the sun (without sunscreen) twice a week for 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the individual, before the hours of 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. should do the trick and help you reach sufficient vitamin D levels. You should expose your face and arms for maximum absorption of vitamin D. However, it may not be so easy for you to gain sun exposure due to the following:
- You may live in a cloudy climate
- You may be wary of exposing your skin to the sun without protection,
- If you’re elderly, obese, have dark skin, or don’t have sufficient access to sun exposure.
- The time of year can make a difference too
- This is when infusing your diet with vitamin D–rich foods can help
Top 10 rich Vitamin D foods
Here are 10 foods to add to the menu for an extra dose of the sunshine vitamin:
Originally published on Apr 25, 2018
