Vitamin D gets an “A” for benefits

Most of us know that we need vitamin D in our diet, but do we realize why? The following are just the top three reasons why
we need D:

*Helps build strong and healthy by assisting the absorption of calcium into our bones

*Maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus

*Assists in elevating our mood (serotonin via exposure to sunlight)

 

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is provided below (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind) – telling us how much D we need:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy		Lactation
0–12 months*	400 IU (10 mcg)	400 IU (10 mcg)
1–13 years	600 IU (15 mcg)	600 IU (15 mcg)
14–18 years	600 IU (15 mcg)	600 IU (15 mcg)	600 IU (15 mcg)		600 IU (15 mcg)
19–50 years	600 IU (15 mcg)	600 IU (15 mcg)	600 IU (15 mcg)		600 IU (15 mcg)
51–70 years	600 IU (15 mcg)	600 IU (15 mcg)
>70 years	800 IU (20 mcg)	800 IU (20 mcg)

* Adequate Intake (AI)

 

The best food resources for vitamin D are as follows (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind/#h3) – highlighting where we can find vitamin D naturally:

Food	IUs per serving*	Percent DV**
Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon	1,360	340
Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces	794	199
Mackerel, cooked, 3 ounces	388	97
Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces	154	39
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup	115-124	29-31
Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup (check product labels, as amount of added vitamin D varies)	100	25
Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV for vitamin D, 6 ounces (more heavily fortified yogurts provide more of the DV)	80	20
Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon	60	15
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 2 sardines	46	12
Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces	46	12
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV)	40	10
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk)	25	6
Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce	6	2

* IUs = International Units.
** DV = Daily Value.

 

Even just a few minutes (15 or so) in the sun (wearing protective sunscreen) will help elevate vitamin D in our body.

So today, because it's going to get to 70 something, grab a tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat (a little lettuce and tomato, too), a glass of OJ fortified with vitamin D, a newspaper (Va. Pilot is always a good read) and enjoy some time in the sun. You're "D" will love you for it the rest of the day!