It is winter now, less sunny hours/day, so you have to think about the vitamin D intake more carefully.
Vitamin D Foods - Are You Getting
Enough In Your Diet?
Vitamin D foods are common
and readily available, yet many people are not aware how to get this vital
nutrient in their diet. Interestingly, vitamin D is sometimes referred to as
the sunshine vitamin, because our skin produces D vitamin when exposed to direct
sunlight. But even though our bodies produce it naturally it is possible to
become deficient in this vitamin, especially if you work indoors or do not get
much direct daylight exposure.
Based on that knowledge,
you might assume that the only viable way to receive adequate amounts of
vitamin D is to spend time in the sun. However, it is possible to get plenty of
this vitamin in your diet by eating commonly available foods. In fact, there
are a variety of different vitamin D foods that can provide your body with
adequate amounts of this nutrient.
Common Vitamin D Foods
Nutritionists and
dieticians have known for quite some time that there are a wide variety of
animal products which are good sources of vitamin D. Fish that are high in fat
tend to be the most reliable sources. Additionally, eggs can be a good source
as well, as the yolks contain it in moderate amounts.
Here are a few common
sources of Vitamin D:
- Wild salmon
- Catfish
- Cod liver oil
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Organic egg yolk
Vegans and Vitamin D
Vegans may have a difficult
time getting Vitamin D in their diets. Since dairy products are commonly
fortified with the vitamin, lacto-vegetarians should not have a problem getting
adequate amounts. So for those who are not strict vegans, a quick and easy way
to get enough of this vitamin is to make sure to eat dairy foods daily.
But given the fact that
strict vegetarians do not eat any foods that are derived from animals, they are
not able to rely on dairy as a source of vitamin D. And, since mushrooms are
the only natural vegan vitamin D foods, those who are strict vegetarians may
find it necessary to supplement their diet to avoid a vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D Supplementation
As you can see, there are a
variety of foods that are high in vitamin D. Therefore, you do have a little
bit more flexibility with regards to what kinds of foods you can eat to get
enough vitamin D in your diet. Daily intake of dairy and fish should be enough
to ensure you receive enough to meet recommended daily allowances of this
nutrient.
But what if you don't like
fish and dairy products, or have an allergy to these foods? If you are unable
or unwilling to eat foods that contain vitamin D, and likewise are not able to
obtain vitamin D as a result of exposure to sunlight, then you may need to take
a multivitamin supplement that includes D vitamin. It's certainly worthwhile to
explore what dietary supplements you can take to provide you with the necessary
amounts of vitamin D to keep your body healthy and strong. So, in the absence
of eating vitamin D foods you will want to take a supplement to prevent a
potential deficiency.
Want to know which Vitamin
D supplements to take? Check out the Trivita supplement reviews
[http://trivitavitaminsinfo.com/blog/] at the Trivita nutritional supplements
[http://www.trivitavitaminsinfo.com/] website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_M_Massie/829287
