Vitamin D can be a peculiar vitamin because your body produces it when exposed to sunlight and it is available naturally in few foods forms. Because vitamin D can be difficult to get in your daily diet, food manufacturers have begun to incorporate the vitamin into more commonly eaten foods, including whole-grain food sources.
Foods Sources
Foods that naturally contain vitamin D include fish sources like cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel and tuna. Egg yolks also contain vitamin D. While whole-grain sources do not naturally contain vitamin D, manufacturers can fortify or add vitamin D to the grain servings. For example, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal is typically fortified with about 40 IUs of vitamin D per serving, which is about 10 percent of your recommended daily value, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. However, the amount of vitamin D in each serving of cereal may differ based on the manufacturer.
Label Laws
Reading the labels of whole-grain products can help you to determine if vitamin D has been added. Whole grains like bread, bagels or cereal will not always contain vitamin D. Look for the words "vitamin-fortified," which can indicate vitamin D has been added. You also can look on the nutrition label to help determine how many IUs of vitamin D are present in the whole-grain foods. Note that "enriched" grains are not the same -- enriched grains indicate that B vitamins lost during production and storage have been incorporated back into the food.
Research
A 2006 study conducted at the University of Maryland measured the amount of vitamin D men and women over the age of 55 obtained from their food sources. The research study also measured the impact of vitamin D from fortified grain sources. The researchers found that men and women in this age range do not regularly get enough vitamin D. However, those who consumed fortified grain and whole-wheat bread sources increased their overall vitamin D consumption by about 10 percent, according to the study. While researchers concluded this is not a significant impact, the increase in vitamin D from food sources could help.
Benefits
Incorporating vitamin-D fortified foods like whole grains are helpful in reaching the recommended 600 IUs recommended for those between the ages of 1 and 70, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Your body needs vitamin D to help your body absorb calcium. This is why milk often is fortified with vitamin D -- because it contains both calcium and the vitamin. If you do not get enough vitamin D in your daily diet, you are at risk for experiencing osteoporosis, a bone-softening disease.
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