How to Get More Vitamin D
Take vitamin D supplements., Opt for vitamin D2 supplements if you are vegan., Improve your access to sunshine, with care., Be aware of factors that might affect vitamin D production from sun exposure.Your proximity to the equator is also a factor...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take vitamin D supplements.
Although vitamin D is important for your health, it’s not found in abundance in the foods we eat.As such, it’s not possible to get enough vitamin D through diet alone.Although you should look for food products for some of your vitamin D, supplements are an important part of your health regimen for this scarce nutrient source.
Vitamin D supplements are found in two forms over-the-counter: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol ) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).
Vitamin D3 is the form that is found naturally in fish and produced by the body when it metabolizes sunlight.It’s also thought to be less toxic in large amounts than vitamin D2, though it’s the more powerful form and has more health benefits.
Most experts recommend vitamin D3 supplements over D2 ones.Ask your health care professional for dosage and brand quality recommendations.
Make sure you a magnesium supplement along with your vitamin D.
Magnesium is necessary for the absorption of vitamin D, but is depleted by the process.
Taking vitamin D without increasing magnesium intake can lead to a deficiency. -
Step 2: Opt for vitamin D2 supplements if you are vegan.
Vitamin D3 is more complete, but it is derived from animal products.
Vegans and vegetarians may wish to avoid it, despite its health benefits.
Vitamin D2 supplements, on the other hand, are produced synthetically using mold, and do not involve animal products at all., Although vitamin D is scarce in our food sources, it is abundant in sunlight.
However, you have to strike a delicate balance between not enough and too much sunshine: you don’t want to burn or over-expose your skin.
To find this balance, you can spend 10 to 20 minutes in the sun twice a week, with sunscreen on only your face.
Alternately, you can spend 2-3 minutes in the sun several times a week, still with sunscreen on only your face.
Either way, make sure not to bathe for an hour after sun exposure.
Be careful not to overexpose your skin to UV rays in sunlight.
UV radiation causes skin cancer, resulting in an estimated
1.5 million cases in the US every year.Avoid sunburns at all cost — not because they hurt, but because they damage skin cells in a manner that can result in cancerous growth.
Continue to use sunscreen for all other instances of sun exposure.
You will likely still take in some vitamin D while wearing sunscreen, but its ability to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation also decreases vitamin D production.
Your skin doesn’t even have to tan for you to get enough vitamin D through sun exposure. , Your natural skin color can also affect vitamin D production, as pale skin produces it more readily than darker-toned skin because of lower melanin content.
While you may not be able to change those factors, you can choose what time of day to expose yourself to the sun.
Choose the midday hours, rather than early morning or evening ones.
In the middle of the day, the sun is stronger, and you’ll produce more vitamin D.
Expose as much skin as possible.
During those few minutes that you’re purposely laying out in the sun, don’t cover up with long pants and sleeves! The more skin you expose, the more vitamin D you’ll produce.
However, use your judgment.
If you live in an area with very strong sunlight, such practices might result in burning.
Be aware that sun exposure is still high even in full cloud coverage.
Your body stores vitamin D, so systematic exposure in the spring and summer can keep you safe all year. , If you can stomach it, cod liver oil is also a good source.
Dairy products like egg yolks and cheese also have small amounts of vitamin D in them., As awareness of the benefits of vitamin D spreads, more and more companies are adding vitamin D to foods that otherwise would not be good sources.
Read nutrition labels to see whether or not a product has been fortified with vitamin D.
The most common products are milks and breakfast cereals. , Studies have shown that caffeine may interfere with vitamin D receptors and inhibit its absorption.Because of its effect on vitamin D, caffeine can negatively affect calcium levels in the body, since vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium.Avoid overconsumption of caffeine-heavy products like coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks.
Try to take Vitamin D later in the day, such as lunch time, and not with your morning coffee or tea. , There’s no one thing you can do to guarantee adequate vitamin D levels.
Research suggests that supplements aren’t as effective a source of nutrients as food, and yet our food sources don’t provide enough vitamin D for optimal health.
The only abundant natural source of vitamin D — the sun — is also incredibly dangerous in large amounts, and can cause cancer.
The best approach is to combine all three methods — supplements, sunlight, and diet — to increase your vitamin D levels. -
Step 3: Improve your access to sunshine
-
Step 4: with care.
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Step 5: Be aware of factors that might affect vitamin D production from sun exposure.Your proximity to the equator is also a factor; people who live closer to it will have stronger sun exposure than those who live closer to the northern and southern poles.
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Step 6: Eat foods richer in vitamin D. While there’s not enough vitamin D in a normal diet to satisfy our needs
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Step 7: you should still try to get as much of it through food as possible.The best natural source of vitamin D is fish
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Step 8: including salmon
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Step 9: mackerel
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Step 10: and sardines.
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Step 11: Look for fortified food products.
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Step 12: Limit your caffeine intake.
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Step 13: Use all of these suggestions together.
Detailed Guide
Although vitamin D is important for your health, it’s not found in abundance in the foods we eat.As such, it’s not possible to get enough vitamin D through diet alone.Although you should look for food products for some of your vitamin D, supplements are an important part of your health regimen for this scarce nutrient source.
Vitamin D supplements are found in two forms over-the-counter: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol ) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).
Vitamin D3 is the form that is found naturally in fish and produced by the body when it metabolizes sunlight.It’s also thought to be less toxic in large amounts than vitamin D2, though it’s the more powerful form and has more health benefits.
Most experts recommend vitamin D3 supplements over D2 ones.Ask your health care professional for dosage and brand quality recommendations.
Make sure you a magnesium supplement along with your vitamin D.
Magnesium is necessary for the absorption of vitamin D, but is depleted by the process.
Taking vitamin D without increasing magnesium intake can lead to a deficiency.
Vitamin D3 is more complete, but it is derived from animal products.
Vegans and vegetarians may wish to avoid it, despite its health benefits.
Vitamin D2 supplements, on the other hand, are produced synthetically using mold, and do not involve animal products at all., Although vitamin D is scarce in our food sources, it is abundant in sunlight.
However, you have to strike a delicate balance between not enough and too much sunshine: you don’t want to burn or over-expose your skin.
To find this balance, you can spend 10 to 20 minutes in the sun twice a week, with sunscreen on only your face.
Alternately, you can spend 2-3 minutes in the sun several times a week, still with sunscreen on only your face.
Either way, make sure not to bathe for an hour after sun exposure.
Be careful not to overexpose your skin to UV rays in sunlight.
UV radiation causes skin cancer, resulting in an estimated
1.5 million cases in the US every year.Avoid sunburns at all cost — not because they hurt, but because they damage skin cells in a manner that can result in cancerous growth.
Continue to use sunscreen for all other instances of sun exposure.
You will likely still take in some vitamin D while wearing sunscreen, but its ability to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation also decreases vitamin D production.
Your skin doesn’t even have to tan for you to get enough vitamin D through sun exposure. , Your natural skin color can also affect vitamin D production, as pale skin produces it more readily than darker-toned skin because of lower melanin content.
While you may not be able to change those factors, you can choose what time of day to expose yourself to the sun.
Choose the midday hours, rather than early morning or evening ones.
In the middle of the day, the sun is stronger, and you’ll produce more vitamin D.
Expose as much skin as possible.
During those few minutes that you’re purposely laying out in the sun, don’t cover up with long pants and sleeves! The more skin you expose, the more vitamin D you’ll produce.
However, use your judgment.
If you live in an area with very strong sunlight, such practices might result in burning.
Be aware that sun exposure is still high even in full cloud coverage.
Your body stores vitamin D, so systematic exposure in the spring and summer can keep you safe all year. , If you can stomach it, cod liver oil is also a good source.
Dairy products like egg yolks and cheese also have small amounts of vitamin D in them., As awareness of the benefits of vitamin D spreads, more and more companies are adding vitamin D to foods that otherwise would not be good sources.
Read nutrition labels to see whether or not a product has been fortified with vitamin D.
The most common products are milks and breakfast cereals. , Studies have shown that caffeine may interfere with vitamin D receptors and inhibit its absorption.Because of its effect on vitamin D, caffeine can negatively affect calcium levels in the body, since vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium.Avoid overconsumption of caffeine-heavy products like coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks.
Try to take Vitamin D later in the day, such as lunch time, and not with your morning coffee or tea. , There’s no one thing you can do to guarantee adequate vitamin D levels.
Research suggests that supplements aren’t as effective a source of nutrients as food, and yet our food sources don’t provide enough vitamin D for optimal health.
The only abundant natural source of vitamin D — the sun — is also incredibly dangerous in large amounts, and can cause cancer.
The best approach is to combine all three methods — supplements, sunlight, and diet — to increase your vitamin D levels.
About the Author
Betty Cooper
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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