Foods high in vitamin D are essential to a healthy diet. The fat-soluble nutrient, which is made by our bodies through sunlight or found in food and supplements, does a lot for our overall health but is something that many of us lack. According to a 2023 study, 35% of adults in the US are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, and that can lead to a number of issues (poor immune system, risk of certain cancers, and liver and kidney disease, to name just a few).
Amelia Sherry, MPH, RD, clinical nutrition coordinator at Mount Sinai says that vitamin D content is not high in a lot of foods, but the ones that do have a lot of the nutrient are easy to incorporate into any diet. Some of the most common vitamin D-rich food include:
Salmon
Sherry lists fatty fish such as salmon as a prime source of vitamin D-rich food. According to the US Department of Agriculture, three ounces of salmon can contain anywhere from 383 to 570 international units (IU) of the nutrient, depending on which type of salmon you choose.
Rainbow Trout
Other fish you can turn to include rainbow trout. The USDA says that three ounces contains 645 IU of vitamin D.
Orange Juice
Sherry says that you can look to fortified foods to get vitamin D. One cup of orange juice, for example, contains 100 IU of the nutrient.
Cod Liver Oil
Cod liver oil has long been recommended by experts to help with a vitamin D deficiency, as its one of the richest food forms of vitamin D you can find. According to the USDA, one teaspoon contains 450 IU.
Sardines
Sardines are one of the healthiest fish options out there. But besides its many benefits, such as improving brain function and preventing hair loss, it is packed with vitamin D. According to the USDA, one can of sardines contains 164 IU of the nutrient.
Milk
Milk is not only rich in calcium but vitamin D as well. One cup, according to the USDA, contains 115 IU.
Yogurt
Yogurt is an easy food to incorporate into your diet for your vitamin D fix. The USDA says 8 ounces of yogurt contains 116 IU.
What does vitamin D do?
Sherry says that vitamin D does a lot for the body, but it’s most known and best studied for how it improves our bone health. “Vitamin D works together with calcium to build and strengthen bones, improves immune and muscle function, reduces inflammation, helps with cell growth, and improves the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar,” she explains.
But you want to be careful about taking too much of the nutrient. While the sun won’t cause this (“If your body has adequate vitamin D, it won’t keep making it from UV light,” she says), taking too many vitamin D supplements or getting too much of it from food can increase your body’s absorption of calcium and when that happens, you might experience nausea, vomiting, irritability, muscle weakness, and fatigue. “Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means that any excess you take doesn’t get lost in urine. Extra vitamin D gets stored in the body, and too much can be toxic,” she says. So it’s imperative that you find that perfect balance.
How much vitamin D do you need per day?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 IU for babies under one year old, 600 IU for anyone under 70 years old, and 800 IU for those over 70.
Should you take vitamin D supplements?
Supplements are necessary if you are deficient in the nutrient, which Sherry says is common in people who have limited sun exposure and may not spend a lot of time outdoors. People with darker skin tones may also have a harder time making vitamin D from the sun alone and if you’re not eating enough vitamin D-rich food in your diet or have digestive diseases like celiac, you may need supplement help.
But before you buy a vitamin D supplement, she says you have to confirm that you are actually deficient in it. To confirm a vitamin D deficiency, you must take a blood test. Then a doctor or dietitian can help determine how much vitamin D you should take and for how long. So when in doubt, definitely go see a doctor to see if this is the right option for you.
