According to the National Institutes of Health, breastfed infants, older adults, people with limited sun exposure and people with dark skin are among those at highest risk for vitamin D deficiency. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium; if calcium isn't absorbed properly bone development can be weakened, meaning later in life you may be at risk for osteoporosis. One way to get vitamin D is through unprotected exposure to sunlight. Experts cited in a New York Times column on vitamin D recommended getting 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine, three times weekly, and taking a 1,000- to 2,000-IU daily supplement as well.
Dairy
Dairy foods ranked highest by a list of vitamin D-rich foods provided by the National Institutes of Health include milk, yogurt and fortified margarine. A serving of vitamin-D fortified nonfat milk can deliver just under one-third of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, while fortified yogurt can provide around 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance. A tablespoon of fortified margarine can deliver 15 percent of your recommended daily allowance.
Wild-Caught Oily Fish
According to columnist Jane Brody in the "New York Times," wild-caught oily fish are another source of vitamin D. A tablespoon of cod liver oil can deliver more than 300 percent of your recommended daily allowance, according to the National Institutes of Health. If you can't stand the taste, know that 3 oz. of cooked sockeye salmon contains nearly 200 percent of the recommended amount, and that 3 oz. of cooked mackerel provides just shy of the full recommended daily allowance. A serving of tuna fish delivers 39 percent of your recommended daily amount, while eating two oil-canned sardines will give you 12 percent.
Fortified Foods
Other foods commonly found in the diets of people living in the United States have been fortified with vitamin D as a public health measure. According to the National Institutes of Health, the addition of vitamin D to U.S. cow milk in the 1930s virtually eliminated rickets, a disease where bone tissue failed to properly materialize, resulting in soft bones and skeletal deformities. Today, fortified orange juice can deliver one-quarter of your recommended daily allowance, while a cup of ready-to-eat cereal can provide 10 percent. Check the labeling to see exactly how heavily fortified these foods are.
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