Better+Nutrition+June+2019

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Best Food Sources of Vitamin D

Without much unprotected sun exposure,

the human body makes very little

vitamin D, yet its function affects

many important processes. Symptoms

of a shortfall can include fatigue,

frequent infections, depression, hair

loss, bone loss, and pain in muscles,

joints, or bones.

Best Foods

Vitamin D is added to cow’s milk, many

plant milks, cereals, and other foods.

While these are all good sources of the

vitamin, they work much like a supple-

ment, as the vitamin D is not a natural

ingredient in the food. Top natural

sources include:

Fish and seafood:These are the

richest sources of vitamin D if they

aren’t deep fried. One study found

that frying salmon in vegetable oil

eliminated half its vitamin D content.

Approximate amounts of vitamin D

in a 3.5-ounce serving:

*Wild salmon: nearly 1,000 IU or more

*Farmed salmon: 250 IU

*Pickled herring: 680 IU

*Wild oysters: 320 IU

*Sardines: 270 IU

*Canned tuna: 230 IU

*Shrimp: 150 IU

Egg yolks:Vitamin D levels can vary

from 20 to 40 IU per yolk if chickens

are raised on factory farms to about

four times that amount from pasture-

raised hens, and much more if chickens

are fed vitamin D-enriched feed.

Mushrooms:The only plant to produce

vitamin D, mushrooms make it when

they are exposed to sunlight. Some

wild mushrooms can contain as much

as 2,300 mg of vitamin D in a 3.5 oz.

serving, but most mushrooms aren’t

good sources because they’re farmed

indoors in the dark. The exceptions

are farmed mushrooms that have been

exposed to UV light, and these should

clearly be labelled as such, ideally with

some information about their vitamin D

content. Mushrooms can retain half or

more of their vitamin D when cooked.

Simple, delicious was to get more of this all-important nutrient into

your diet

HOW MUCH D IS ENOUGH?

Government guidelines recommend

getting 600 IU daily up to age 70 and

800 IU after that, but many experts

recommend taking 1,000 IU daily or more.

Ideally, get your vitamin D blood levels

tested to identify how much you need.

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