Vitamin D is a hormone many know as ‘the sunshine vitamin’. It helps your digestive systems soak up calcium and phosphorus – necessary nutrients for your health.
Your whole body, at every level, require Vitamin D – from your bones to your heart, brain, muscles, immune system and more. Without this specific vitamin, your body won’t function properly.
The sun is known as the best source of Vitamin D. However, the sun is not the only source. Other Vitamin D all-important sources make sure you aren’t deficient or insufficient of this micronutrient.
What other options of Vitamin D are there?
In the dead of winter, when the sun is either very low or not present at all, Vitamin D is added through your diet or supplements. Unfortunately, there aren’t many Vitamin D food sources because your body is designed to get all the Vitamin D it needs from sunshine.
Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, mushrooms, eggs, Vitamin D fortified food, milk are all excellent sources of Vitamin D. According to Intermountain Healthcare, a serving of just over 100 grams contributes 265% of your daily Vitamin D allowance. A food like salmon can be stored, and if you have two and a half portions per week, your Vitamin D quota is reached.
Perhaps you aren’t a fan of eating fish, but research shows that Vitamin D in salmon is very high in omega 3s and B12, reducing cholesterol and decreasing the risk of you getting heart disease.
Vitamin D supplements are popular, but experts recommend that you get all your nutrients the natural route rather than in a pill.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is a high-quality supplement recommended by Amy Myers, MD. It is said to be the best option after the sun. It is created as though it is in your skin when exposed to sunshine. Also, it increases the levels of Vitamin D in your blood more than other Vitamin D forms.
Myers fuses her Vitamin D3 supplement with Vitamin K2. The tandem ensures that absorbed calcium goes straight to your bones and not your blood. Her observation suggests that the stability of Vitamin D can be taken in different forms. Vitamin D3/K2, for example, is available in liquid form, and each drop supports your bone and heart health, as well as your immune system.
The liquid is used and added to your favourite beverage or food. It is also available as a capsule to avoid Vitamin C deficiency.
Plant-based dairy Vitamin D alternatives
Soya milk
Animal products are packed with Vitamin D. Fortified food sources, such as soya milk, are Vitamin D for vegans and vegetarians because they contain a lot of protein. It is best had in your morning smoothie or porridge.
Fortified vegan yoghurt
Vegan yoghurts are products fortified with Vitamin D. It is especially useful during winter. Add some granola, honey or agave nectar, and you will love it even more!
Meat substitutes
Meat substitutes aren’t difficult to find on the market. Some of the substitutes are so realistic and authentic that it is hard to believe they are fortified with Vitamin D.
Meat eaters may struggle to get the right amount of Vitamin D in red meat, liver or other offal pieces. It is never as a miss with fortified faux meat because it contains the Vitamin D nutrients you need as a vegan or vegetarian.
If you are a meat-eater, try swapping your meals for fortified plant-based mince, burgers, nuggets, goujons and even steak. Before making the purchase, check the nutritional label to see if the product has been fortified.
What is the cause of Vitamin D deficiency?
There are significant factors that contribute to Vitamin D deficiency. It may be the lack of timing or exposure to the sun. Some researchers believe that sunscreen is partly to blame as well. However, sunscreen usage alone can’t explain why so many people have a Vitamin D deficiency.
A Vitamin D deficiency links to age because as you age, your skin has a more challenging time producing Vitamin D. Vitamin D-enriched foods play a role in avoiding deficiency. Still, many people aren’t eating enough of these types of foods.
Winter is coming
With winter around the corner already, Vitamin D will soon be lacking in everyone. It is up to you to do the necessary research in those months to find other valuable Vitamin D sources besides the sun’s UV rays.
It is not all lost, as there are many Vitamin food sources. There are even supplements for vegans that you can incorporate into your diet. Most importantly, make sure that you get enough Vitamin D every season of the year.
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