Your Diet and Vitamin D

A safe amount of sun can help your body make Vitamin D, but as we prepare for fall turning to food and supplements can help meet needs.

Vitamin D is important for maintaining strong bones and a healthy immune system.  Some studies suggest it may also help reduce diseases like diabetes and cancer, though more research is needed.   

Vitamin D sources include:

• Fatty fish – salmon, halibut, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines
• Fortified products – orange juice, cereals, and many dairy products
• Eggs

It can be hard to get enough vitamin D through diet alone.  (Eating a tuna sandwich, egg, and cup of milk only provides about half the daily amount.)

600 IU of vitamin D is recommended for most adults and some studies suggest getting 1000 IU or more may have benefits.

Read food labels (hint: a daily value of 20% or more is an excellent source) or take a supplement to meet your needs when the season changes.

REFERENCES
Benefits of Moderate Sun Exposure. HMS Harvard Health Publishing. Accessed July 2018.
Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health.  Accessed July 2018.
Brookes, L. Vitamin D and Mortality Risk: Should Clinical Practice Change? Interview with Dr. Cedric F. Garland. Medscape. Published 2014. Accessed August 2018.
Yin, K and D., Agrawal. Vitamin D and Inflammatory Diseases. J Inflamm Res, 2014. 7: 69-87.  

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