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Vitamin D is one of the vital elements needed by the human body. Since it is majorly synthesized by sunlight, it is also called the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining bone, muscle, and teeth health. Its deficiency can cause serious complications including bone deformities. However, a major part of the world’s population is dealing with vitamin D deficiency. Exposure to morning sunlight is the best way to increase your body’s vitamin D levels, but here are some sources of vitamin D you must include in your diet.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are one of the best sources of vitamin D for vegetarians. Surprisingly, mushrooms produce vitamin D on their own when they are exposed to sunlight. This is exactly how our human bodies make vitamin D. The only difference is that our body produces vitamin D3, whereas mushrooms produce vitamin D2. There are some varieties of mushrooms that have higher levels of vitamin D as compared to others. Maitake mushrooms are the best for vitamin D deficiency. In a nutshell, wild mushrooms have more vitamin D due to prolonged exposure to sunlight. If you’re considering adding mushrooms to your diet, purchase them from a trusted source only.
Egg Yolk
Have egg yolks daily to replenish vitamin D levels in the body. Egg yolks have variable vitamin D, which means all varieties of eggs won’t offer the same amount of vitamin D. Eggs obtained by free-range or pasture-raised chickens have nearly four times more vitamin D as compared to conventionally raised chickens. The more chickens are kept outdoors, exposed to sunlight, the higher levels of vitamin D they would have.
Fatty fishes
Fatty fishes and seafood are amongst the top sources of vitamin D. Eating 100 grams of salmon can fulfill 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. Seafood has comparatively higher vitamin concentration. However, a lot depends on the type of seafood. To manage vitamin D deficiency, you can consume salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, shrimp, oysters, and anchovies.
Eat fortified foods
These are foods that are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Some foods are fortified with vitamin D to allow people to get this vital vitamin through diet. There are a very few foods that are fortified with this sunshine vitamin. Some of the widely available vitamin A fortified foods include cow milk, soy milk, almond milk, orange juice, yogurt, cereals, tofu, etc. Check their ingredients list to find if they are fortified with vitamin D or not.
Vitamin D supplement
One of the easiest ways to treat vitamin D deficiency is by taking its supplement. Physicians often prescribe supplements to people with acute low levels of vitamin D. These supplements usually come in capsules and powders. You are supposed to consume these one to three times a week depending upon the level of vitamin D in their bodies. You must ask your physician for the right dosage and follow that. Both under and over supplementation are bad for health.
Lastly, you can also consider using a UV lamp. These lamps produce UV radiations just like the sun to allow the skin to absorb vitamin D. This can be useful for people who spend maximum of their time indoors or have limited exposure to the sun. Just be safe with its use and read all the do’s and don’ts before using.
Image credits- freepik
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