Vitamin D - Foods
Foods containing Vitamin D
The National Institute of Health says "Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D." Here are the top contenders:
| Food | IUs per serving | Percent DV |
|---|---|---|
| Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon | 1,360 | 340 |
| Salmon, cooked, 3.5 ounces | 360 | 90 |
| Mackerel, cooked, 3.5 ounces | 345 | 90 |
| Tuna fish, canned in oil *, 3 ounces | 200 | 50 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1.75 ounces | 250 | 70 |
| Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup ** | 98 | 25 |
| Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon *** | 60 | 15 |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV) | 40 | 10 |
| Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk) | 20 | 6 |
| Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces | 15 | 4 |
| Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce | 12 | 4 |
| not in the typical western diet, at least on a daily basis | |
| warning with this food (see below) | |
| found in the typical western diet (doesn't necessarily provide a significant amount of vitamin D with respect to dietary guidelines) |
* Be aware of the mercury risks with fish consumption. Here's a start: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17047219
** Those avoiding dairy need to be aware of the low amounts of vitamin D in other foods.
*** Margarines come in various forms. Beware of margarines with a high trans-fatty acid content. Trans-fatty acids "raise total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and are known to increase the risk of CHD"1
Since foods don't contain much, Is it safe to supplement?
People are concerned about getting too much vitamin D. From all the latest data it seems that it is safe to supplement vitamin D in your diet. And it appears that there is a fairly large buffer between the high values you should take and the beginning of toxicity. See Vitamin D - Excess/Toxicity or Vitamin D - How Much?
See also
Vitamin DVitamin D - Excess/Toxicity
Vitamin D – How Much?
References
1. Upritchard JE, Zeelenberg MJ, Huizinga H, Verschuren PM, Trautwein EA. Modern fat technology: what is the potential for heart health? Proc Nutr Soc. 2005 Aug;64(3):379-86.
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