Getting enough vitamin D can be challenging. Your body can make vitamin D from sunlight but only if you spend time in the sun unprotected and without sunscreen, which can raise your risk of skin cancer. In addition, not many foods are naturally high in vitamin D. However, in most cases you can meet your daily needs through diet by including foods fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and yogurt. Consult a health-care provider to determine how much vitamin D you need to meet your individual needs.
Vitamin D
The main role that vitamin D plays in the body is to help you absorb the calcium you need to keep your bones strong. Vitamin D also helps you maintain the right level of phosphate. Without enough vitamin D, children can develop rickets and adults can develop osteoporosis, says MedlinePlus. To protect against deficiency, infants need about 400 IU every day, while children one year and older and all adults require between 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily. You may need more if you have an underlying condition that affects the body's ability to absorb vitamin D or you have a deficiency. Check with your physician to confirm how much you should get.
Sources
You can meet your daily needs of vitamin D by getting about 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight each day on unprotected skin. Certain foods such as fish, eggs and cod liver oil are good natural sources, and many foods and beverages are fortified with vitamin D, notes MayoClinic.com. All milk in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D, and yogurt is often fortified as well. The best bet is to read nutrition labels to see how much vitamin D is in each serving size.
Milk and Yogurt
If you do not eat fish or eggs or have limited exposure to sunlight, you can consume milk and yogurt to obtain the vitamin D you need. A cup of fortified milk contains between 115 to 124 IU while yogurt can contain around 88 IU per cup. If your doctor advises getting 600 IU per day, you can meet that need by drinking four 6 oz. glasses of milk and consuming two cups of yogurt, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. If you do not consume dairy, you can also use soy products. A 6 oz. cup of fortified soy milk provides 100 IU. A cup of soy yogurt can have no vitamin D or up to 100 IU if it is fortified.
Considerations
If you choose to meet your vitamin D needs through milk and yogurt alone, be cautious about how many calories and how much cholesterol and fat you are getting along with it. Whole or low-fat dairy and soy products can be high in both, so go for fat-free and low-calorie versions. You will need to be an educated consumer and carefully read the nutrition labels as claims such as low fat or low calorie can be misleading. Reading the nutrition label is the only sure way to know what you are getting in your food.
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