Vitamin D-Rich Foods You Didn’t Know About

07/17/2025

Food items with vitamin D and other nutrients:

Here is a list of food items rich in vitamin D and other essential nutrients. Including these items in your diet will help you replenish the vitamin D levels in your body. A deficiency of vitamin D may result in a wide range of health conditions.  Therefore, in order to cut back on your risk of developing conditions such as muscle problems, loss of bone density, slower wound healing, etc. Include the following vitamin D3 foods in your diet:

1. Fatty fish

Fatty fish comes out as one of the greatest sources of vitamin D. It is believed that 100 g of farmed Atlantic salmon has 441 IU of vitamin D.  On the other hand, a wild-caught salmon has a higher percentage of vitamin D compared to farmed salmon.

The percentage of vitamin D may also differ depending on where the salmon was found. For instance, salmon caught in the Baltic Sea provides 556-924 IU of vitamin D per 100 grams, providing 70 to 116% of the daily value.

Other fatty fish, such as halibut and mackerel, are also a good source of vitamin D. However, the content may differ from the aforementioned salmon.

2. Herring and sardines 

Other good sources of vitamin D are herring and sardines, offering a great amount of vitamin D to keep your health in check. Fresh Atlantic herring offers about 167 IU per 100 grams, which is approximately 20% of the daily value. On the other hand, canned sardines provide 193 IU per 100 grams.

3. Cod liver oil

If eating fish is not your thing, then consider taking cod liver oil to replenish low vitamin D levels. Approximately 450 IU per teaspoon (4.9 mL), cod liver oil provides 56% of the Daily Value (DV).  

4. Canned tuna

If you are looking for a budget-friendly option, consider buying canned tuna, which is typically less expensive than fresh fish and can be stored for an extended period. Canned tuna provided 34% of the DV per 100 grams. It is noteworthy that it also contains high levels of mercury, which can build up over time in the body and may result in serious health problems. Light canned tuna has a low profile of mercury and comes from a smaller fish. Hence, you can take it in moderation. 

5. Eggs

The yolk of one large egg contains around 41 IU of vitamin D, which is equivalent to 5% of the DV. Increasing the content of vitamin D in hens’ feed, introducing hens to the UVB light, and exposing egg yolk to the UVB can increase the vitamin D content in eggs.

If you are looking for eggs to boost your vitamin D intake, consider buying eggs from chickens raised in the sunlight or marketed as rich in vitamin D.

6. Vitamin D-fortified food items

There is a wide range of food items that are fortified with vitamin D. If you are someone with low vitamin D levels, include these food items in your diet. There is a myriad of food items that don’t have vitamin D naturally.

Soy milk

In many countries, soy milk is fortified with vitamin D along with many other nutrients. One cup of soy milk offers 185 IU per 100 grams, which is around 23% of the daily value.

Cow’s milk

In order to boost the levels of vitamin D, many countries fortify cow’s milk with vitamin D. 1 cup of fortified 2% fat cow’s milk holds 111 IU of vitamin D, or approximately 14% of the daily value.

Orange juice

Taking one cup of fortified orange juice offers you  100 IU of vitamin D, or 12 percent of the daily value. 

Why should you include vitamin D in your diet? 

Vitamin D carries out a myriad of essential functions in the body, ranging from reducing the risk of certain diseases to supporting your immune system. Vitamin D comes as a fat-soluble vitamin, which belongs to a group of compounds that includes D1, D2, and D3. Our body naturally generates vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. You can obtain vitamin D from many food items to ensure a healthy body and mind. Out of all the essential functions, regulating the absorption of phosphorus and calcium is highly vital. By ensuring enough levels of vitamin D in the body, you can claim these benefits:

Vitamin D may fight off various diseases.

Besides regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, it is also effective in reducing your risk of developing a broad range of health conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Enough levels of vitamin D in the body also diminish your risk of infections and autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Vitamin D improves mood and reduces depression. 

Various studies have proven that vitamins may help in reducing the risk of depression and also improving mood. On the other hand, low levels of vitamin D are a risk factor for conditions that include anxiety and severe fibromyalgia.

Taking vitamin D through supplements or food may help fight off depression in people who have low levels of vitamin D.

It may support weight loss. 

A lot of people with higher body weight are highly likely to have low levels of vitamin D.  Only limited studies suggest a possible link between low levels of vitamin D and higher body weights. However, more research is needed to confirm it.

An older study found that people who were taking calcium and vitamin D daily shed more weight than people who were on a placebo. This study believed that consuming an extra amount of vitamin D and calcium may have had an appetite-suppressant effect.  Current research doesn’t endorse it, but there may be a connection between weight loss and vitamin D. 

Vitamin D has anti-cancer properties.

Having satisfactory levels of vitamin D in the body reduces your overall risk of developing certain cancers, including pancreatic, prostate, and colorectal.  An animal study revealed that vitamin D slows down the growth of tumors and reduces their size. Various clinical trials in humans discovered that vitamin D may slow down cancer progression, but it may not prevent it. 

Conclusion: 

Our bodies naturally generate vitamin D when exposed to the sun's UV rays. However, it is not considered the best way to meet your family's vitamin D needs, as it elevates your risk of certain cancers. The best and safest way to meet your daily vitamin D needs is to opt for vitamin D foods and supplements, such as vitamin D capsules. If you are allergic to any of the aforementioned food items, kindly avoid taking them and look for alternatives. In addition to this, please consult your doctor to determine your vitamin D levels for optimal results. Adequate levels of vitamin D offer plenty of benefits to your overall health and decrease your risk of developing many conditions.

FAQs: 

Q1: What is the most effective vitamin D to take?

Vitamin D3 is often regarded as the most effective form of vitamin D, especially when it comes to supporting and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels throughout the body. Vitamin D3 is considered more active and effective than vitamin D2.

Q2: Which form of vitamin D is best absorbed?

Vitamin D3 is known to be better absorbed and is effective at maintaining and increasing the levels of vitamin D in the body in comparison to D2. Both forms of vitamin D raise vitamin D levels in the blood, but vitamin D3 increases them higher and maintains these levels for a longer time.

Q3: What is the best strength of vitamin D to take daily?

For children up to 12 months of age, the recommended daily amount of vitamin D is about 400 IU. On the other hand, the daily recommended dosage is 600 IU for individuals aged 1 to 70 years and 800 IU for those aged 70 years and above. Please meet with your doctor to find the exact ideal dosage based on your medical history and current health conditions.

Q4: Is two eggs a day enough vitamin D?

Consuming two eggs daily is not enough to meet the daily vitamin D requirement. You will have to include other things, in addition to eggs, to meet your daily vitamin D requirements, such as fortified foods, oily fish, sunlight exposure, etc.