The following post is sponsored by Eggland’s Best.
Vitamin D. We all know we need it, as it is becoming increasingly popular in the media, but how much our bodies need and the best source of obtaining it is still widely misunderstood. We need vitamin D in the regulation of a number of physiological processes that are essential for adequate growth, development, and survival of human cells. Vitamin D helps our immune system function, aids in production of insulin, aids in bone growth, helps decrease inflammation, and keeps our brain sharp (just to name a few)! However, in a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, about 75% of American adults and teens were found to be deficient (<30 nano grams per milliliter of blood)!! Why aren’t we getting enough? Let’s take a closer look at the three main ways to acquire vitamin D in order to get a better idea of how to get more of this nutrient in our day to day lives.
DIET
Ninety-nine percent of the time, I believe that the best source of every nutrient is from the foods we eat. When you obtain nutrients through food, as opposed to supplementation, you have other nutrients within that food assisting in absorption. Therefore, nutrients are much more efficiently utilized. However, vitamin D only occurs naturally in a handful of foods; egg yolks, the flesh of fatty fish (salmon, tuna, and mackerel), fish liver oils, beef liver, and cheese. Fortified foods include dairy, orange juice, and certain grains and cereals. Eggs are probably your most versatile option for a vitamin D source, as you can eat them for virtually any meal; scrambled eggs, omelets, egg salad, etc. Or you could do what I do and hard boil 1-2 eggs to take along as snacks! Super portable! Eggland’s Best has 80 IU’s of Vitamin D per egg, as opposed to the usual 40 IU’s of vitamin D in other brands. That is awesome!
The USDA’s current recommendations are 600 IU of vitamin D per day. However, the following are the Vitamin D council’s recommendations for daily vitamin D:
- Healthy children less 1 year of age should take 1, 000 IU of Vitamin D3 a day.
- >1 year of age, take 1,000 IU for every 25 pounds of body weight per day (~5, 000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day).
As you can see, 600 IU or 5,000 IU is quite a substantial difference. Can these levels be met through diet alone? Below is a sample meal plan, highlighting vitamin D intake:
BREAKFAST: 2 Eggland’s Best Eggs (~80 IU of vitamin D EACH), Smoothie: 1/2 cup Vitamin D fortified 100% orange juice (~50 IU of vitamin D), 1/4 cup fortified yogurt (~30 IU of vitamin D), 1 cup frozen strawberries, banana.
LUNCH: 3 oz Salmon patty (~447 IU of vitamin D), salad, and 8 oz fortified Almond milk (~115 IU of vitamin D)
MID-AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 cup D-fortified whole grain cereal (~ 40 IU of vitamin D) + 1/2 c. fortified almond milk (~60 IU of vitamin D)
DINNER: 100% whole wheat tortilla wrap with hummus and veggies + 1 oz of swiss cheese ( ~6 IU of vitamin D), fruit salad
Total Vitamin D intake through diet alone: 908 IU of Vitamin D.
While it would be fairly easy to meet the USDA’s current RDA of 600 IU of vitamin D, meeting the vitamin D council’s current recommendation is much more challenging. In order to meet 5,000+ IU’s, we might have to incorporate other sources.
SUN
source In 30 minutes of full body sun exposure, we can make ~10,000 units of vitamin D. According to a publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the production of vitamin D is maximized before your skin even turns pink. That is pretty amazing.
However, with skin cancer rates on the rise, many people, including myself, are cautious of the sun, limiting exposure during peak times, and wearing ample sunscreen. This is a major reason why those, especially in the northern hemisphere, are having difficulty keeping their vitamin D levels adequate. While I will NOT tell you to start baking in the sun and using tanning beds, I DO believe that we all need ~ 15-30 minutes of full body sun exposure each and every day. Since this is nearly impossible to achieve, especially in the winter months, there is one more KEY component to meeting the vitamin D needs of your body!
SUPPLEMENTS
I strongly believe each person should take a vitamin D supplement, especially those who live in northern regions and do not get adequate sunlight year round. I currently take 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 and a calcium, magnesium, and zinc supplement containing 200 IU of vitamin D. This would be my minimal recommendation for most individuals, unless they frequently lay out in the sun or used a tanning bed on a weekly basis (I do NOT recommend tanning beds…ever).
TOXICITY
If you are concerned about toxicity, know that humans would have to take in ~176, 000, 000 IU of vitamin D in order to develop a toxicity. If you want to learn more about vitamin D toxicity, check out this page from the vitamin D council’s website!
QUESTION: How do you measure up? What are the best ways YOU ensure adequate vitamin D intake?
Have you had your levels checked?
I checked mine a few months ago and my levels were 32ng/mL. That is fairly low. I hope that with small changes, I will be able to amp up my levels to at least 50ng/mL! I encourage everyone to ask their physician for a blood test to obtain their vitamin D levels!
FACE OF FITNESS CONTEST: Have YOU VOTED yet???
Click : FACE OF FITNESS CONTEST!! I am currently in 10th place!!! I need all the votes I can get!! You can vote once a day until April 3rd!! Thank you so much for the support my friends!!
I used to supplement vit D and Iron together but I ran out a while ago and haven’t re ordered, however I do live in the sun now and I agree with you that 15 mins a day is really good for you. I don’t do it every day and not at peak hours obviously but maybe 4 or 5 days a week. I hope that will be enough?! Thinking of getting a tested for all vitamin deficiencies and allergies etc soon so will hopefully know more then! Great post
Do I have to go to the doctor to get my vitamin D checked or can I buy a kit to do it at home?
Glad you liked the asparagus quiche recipe
. Great post on the importance of Vitamin D. I’m a big believer in D. I recently had my level checked and it was 38. I’d like to get that up to 50. I have been supplementing, and one of the things I’ve noticed is that I haven’t had any colds this winter, and usually would have had at least one or two by now. My husband and kids have all gotten sick but not me 
. Can’t say if it’s the D for sure, but makes me think it might be….Going to go vote for you now 
I love this! I get some of my Vitamin D through supplements, and the rest from Mr. Sun!
Great Vitamin D post, Erin! I got my levels checked last year because we had a HORRIBLE dark winter…and I was feeling so fatigued. When I got my D checked it was slightly low so I had to supplement. However, as son as it got sunny again I started soaking it all up and felt So much better.
I am fairly certain I need to start taking a supplement as I don’t get a lot of time in the sun during the winter months. Thanks for the food sources!
woah! i honestly dont get vitamin D except frm my supplements! i take a calcium and vit D one.. but i mean.. in london.. we get ZERO sun!! and then being vegan i defs cnt eat all those animal products- thanks for all these awesome facts!
My grandma just recently started taking vitamin d and I wasn’t aware how much we needed until she told me about this. I definitely don’t get enough!
I live in Massachusetts and around here vitamin D deficiencies are nearly as common as acne! My family takes a daily supplement in addition to our diet and as much sun as is safe without sunscreen. I have two daughters and their pediatrician told me that even 10 minutes outside will help but the catch is it has to be without sunscreen as sunscreen blocks the absorption of vitamin D which is believed to be part of the reason why deficiencies are so common…especially in children. Sunscreen is most often applied before children are sent out to play! Another tip he gave was to pick up a bottle of vitamin D drops at our local health food store. For $20 I got a bottle with enough drops to last a year (or six months for our two daughters)…one drop a day…it’s tasteless, odorless and can be dropped on food or their tongue or even on a bottle or pacifier nipple. They have drops with different IU doses for infant to adult so it was easy to find the one that best fit our needs.
Thank you for sharing this post with us, Erin!!
I really need to start thinking more about supplementing! Most things that are “fortified” I don’t eat. Most of the fortified things are either gluten or dairy, which I can’t have. I will have to look for the fortified almond milk. I definitely need to take my calcium supplement, and I guess now I will add in a D, too!
Thanks for this post, very informative!
I am all about some full sun exposure. Love love love the sun!
I’m curious about my Vit D level and will look into having it tested. I eat vegan so probably don’t get Vit D through my diet. But, living in Austin and being outdoors all the time, I may get enough through the sun (even in Winter). It will be interested to check. Thanks for another great post. p.s. I voted again this morning.
I am guessing my levels are low. For the past four summers I’ve worked outside as a camp counselor, being exposed to an ample amount of sunlight. I have SAD in the winter, but feel so much better once I am exposed to more sunlight again. I have vitamins, I just need to get better at taking them regularly!
Wow! I bet I’m not getting near the Vitamin D I should be!! I will definitely start looking into supplements and get my levels checked next time I visit my doctor. Thanks for the information!!
Great post!!!!!! I had no idea how high the daily vitamin d recommendation was! I’ll definitely try to start incorporating more of it into my diet.
Wonderful post, Erin! I’ve been told I should take a Vitamin D supplement for years, but I still don’t do it! I like to believe that we can obtain all vitamins/minerals by eating a healthy, balanced and varied diet. However, I know that this isn’t always possible. If only I lived in a sunny place!
Do you know why there’s such a difference between the USDA’s RDA and the Vitamin D council’s recommendation? What are your thoughts about the amount of D that we need?
I’ve actually never had my Vitamin D levels checked. I am curious though. I live in the NW so I know I’m not getting any from the sun. But I do eat eggs, fortified milk and cereals. I have a feeling I’m not getting enough from foods though. I should be taking a supplement but I can’t seem to take it consistently enough! Great post. That reminds me that I should take my supplement!
I’ve never had my levels checked, but I don’t think I’m deficient. We get a lot of sunshine here, so I’m hoping that counts
AWESOME post!
Super informative. I’ve never had my vitamin D levels checked, but I do take a vitamin D3 supplement as well as calcium magnesium. I also eat a ton of eggs!