Wondering How to Get the All Crucial Vitamin D? Discover the Best Sources for Vitamin D, its Benefits Plus 4 Simple but Delicious Recipes Rich in Vitamin D (2020)

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin because of its property to be soaked by the body through sunlight, is an important nutrient to keep you healthy. Its main purpose in your body is to act as a catalyst for calcium absorption, which in turn keeps your bones and teeth strong and healthy. Calcium is also vital for bone growth and bone remodelling (removal of old bone tissues and the formation of new ones). Hence, a lack of vitamin D can lead to weak, misshapen or thin bones. Apart from strengthening your bones, vitamin D also has other major benefits for your body. Listed below are some of the important benefits of vitamin D for your body:

There are a few easy to understand symptoms and problems associated with deficiency of vitamin D. Moreover, there are a few risk factors which can lead to vitamin D deficiency, the major ones are – having a dark skin tone, being overweight, being elderly, not eating adequate dairy or fish, staying indoors, always using sunscreen when going out during the day and living at a place which is far from the equator where sun exposure is limited. The signs that you are suffering from vitamin D deficiency include:

As per a recent study, almost 70–90% of Indians are suffering from vitamin D deficiency, and among them a significant number of people are found to be suffering from DM type 2 and hypertension. Though it’s a surprise finding for a country like India where sunlight is in abundance, this also shows the lack of awareness around vitamin D and its importance for your health. Vitamin D can be derived from natural sources and supplements as well. In this section we will discuss the natural ways to get vitamin D.

Contrary to popular beliefs, soaking the sun between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. provides the maximum amount of vitamin D as compared to early morning sunrays. To get an adequate amount of vitamin D from the sun, you need to expose plenty of skin to sunlight. You can keep your arms, legs, abdomen, back, etc. exposed to the sunlight for 15–30 minutes so that your body can produce enough amount of vitamin D. You can wear shorts, tank tops, etc. during this sunbathe and do remember to cover your face and eyes with a hat and goggles.

Yogurt is a dairy product rich in calcium and is easier to digest as compared to milk. The calcium present in yogurt along with vitamin D present in your body acts as a potent combination for your health. Yogurt or curd has good bacteria which is good for your gut health and promotes digestive enzymes in the stomach. It also strengthens immunity by fighting with the bad bacteria in your gut. A cup of yogurt (250 gm) contains 275 mg of calcium which is close to the amount your body needs every day to maintain bone density and strengthen them as well.

Although milk naturally doesn’t contain vitamin D, most of the packaged milk manufacturers have started adding vitamin D into their packed milk. In a few countries like Sweden and Canada, vitamin D has to be added to cow’s milk as per the law. In India, FSSAI has set standards of milk fortification for co-operative and private dairies and they should fortify the milk with vitamin A and vitamin D. FSSAI has also introduced a logo denoted by F+ which is a symbol of the fortified products. Vitamin D, when gets added to the natural calcium present in the milk, is quite beneficial for your health. You can check the detailed guidelines and dairies fortifying their milk as per FSSAI standards here.

Milk fortified with vitamin D may not provide an adequate amount of the vitamin required for the body if taken in little amounts, and if you are lactose intolerant, then you may not be able to consume milk. To counter this and get the minimum required amount, vitamin D fortified orange juice can be introduced in your breakfast. A 12-week study done on a group of adults showed that the vitamin D levels in them increased significantly when they were given vitamin D induced orange juice on a daily basis.

Fatty fish and seafood can serve as an excellent natural source of vitamin D and though the percentage of vitamin D may vary for different types of fishes and seafood, they do contain a good amount of vitamin D. Some such aquatic creatures and fishes with high vitamin D content are – wild-caught salmon, mackerel, tuna, shrimp, oysters, anchovies and sardines. A couple of these foods are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are considered good for your heart.

Mushrooms are a complete plant-based resource of vitamin D as they can produce vitamin D on their own like humans. Wild mushrooms or mushrooms treated with UV light (not the commercially produced mushrooms with little exposure to sunlight) produce vitamin D2. Though your body produces vitamin D3, studies suggest that vitamin D3 can also elevate the vitamin D levels in humans. Always purchase wild mushrooms from a trusted supplier as some varieties of wild mushrooms are poisonous in nature.

Pastured eggs (eggs produced from chickens who are allowed to roam free in the open and eat insects and plants with some commercial food) and eggs from chickens who are fed with vitamin D enriched poultry, are a good source of vitamin D, especially the yolk part. The quantity of vitamin D present in the yolk may vary though based on the above-mentioned factors.

As vitamin D is not present in a wide range of eatables, thus to provide a sufficient amount of vitamin D in your food, many food staples and drinks are often fortified with this vitamin. The major ones are – cow’s milk, certain flavoured yogurts, ready to eat cereals, orange juice and tofu. While purchasing a food item, you can check the ingredients list on the pack to find out if it’s fortified with vitamin D.

The easiest and most common way to get vitamin D is to take supplements. You should consult with your doctor on the best suited dosage for you. In general, vitamin D intake of 1000–4000 IU (international units) on a daily basis is sufficient for most adults. Ensure you take it regularly and as per your doctors advice so your levels remain at a healthy level.

Some of you may not have the time to keep a check of the food items and what vitamins or nutrients they contain. An easy way to induce vitamin D in your diet is to include recipes enriched with vitamin D in your diet plan. Given below are a few such recipes which have vitamin D in abundance:

For preparing Masala Chaas, you require:

Chilled Mushrooms and Capsicum can be used as an appetizer, starter or even as a salad. You would require: