The Sunshine Vitamin: Vitamin D

By Jenny Thompson

Newton Hy-Vee

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium. It can prevent your bones from becoming brittle, keep your teeth strong and support immune, brain and nervous system function. Additionally, it may help support muscle function, strength and balance.

How do you know if you’re getting enough? Just as its nickname implies, many people can produce vitamin D when their skin is exposed to the sun (without sunscreen). However, because of the risk of skin cancer, many experts recommend limiting sun exposure with the intent of getting vitamin D to just 10 minutes a day. But even that small amount of time is not practical for Midwesterners during winter.

Another option is to eat a diet that includes many vitamin D-rich foods. The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin D is 600 IU per day from diet. Foods that contain high amounts of vitamin D include wild-caught salmon, herring, sardines, cod liver oil, canned tuna and shrimp. A 3.5-ounce serving of wild salmon can pack upward of 900 IU, and the same amount of tuna can get you more than 200 IU. If you’re not a fan of seafood, reach for eggs (the yolks) and mushrooms that have been treated with UV light.

If you think you may not be getting enough vitamin D through foods or sun exposure, talk to your health care provider about a possible supplement, such as Nature Made Vitamin D.

You may be at risk for
vitamin D deficiency if —

You have an increased need for vitamin D due to weight or age.

You limit sun exposure by wearing sunscreen, are restricted to indoor activity, live at higher latitude or live in a region with a long winter season or air pollution.

You do not take a daily multivitamin with vitamin D and/or a vitamin D supplement.

You do not make vitamin D in your skin from UVB rays as efficiently (such as older adults and darker-skinned individuals).

You have a malabsorption syndrome, liver disease or renal disease.

You take medications that interact with vitamin D absorption or metabolism.