fering with everything from asthma to cancer.
In the approaching winter months, however, sunlight plentiful in vitamin D
will become scarce. We’ll have to expand our diets by eating lots of foods
high in vitamin D (but taking care to avoid mercury-laden fish) and
potentially high quality vitamin D3 supplements. According to Harvard, how
much vitamin D our bodies need varies with our age and skin color. Natural
health experts agree that between 5,000 and 8,000 international units (IUs)
daily is most beneficial.
Here are 7 great natural sources of vitamin D:
1. Salmon
Three ounces of fresh sockeye salmon has nearly 450 IUs of vitamin D. It’s
also loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, a natural anti-aging nutrient
and known obesity fighter. Always remember to buy from only high quality
organic fish producers and avoid any fish around the Fukushima disaster or
the Pacific as a whole.
2. Sardines
Two sardines contain 12% of the FDA’s recommended vitamin D daily intake.
While the FDA’s recommended intake is very low at only 400 IU a day,
sardines can be a great source of vitamin D when adding to additional
intake. To avoid BPA leaching into your healthy food through canned food,
stick to fresh fish rather than canned varieties.
3. Eggs
A large egg yolk has 37 IUs of vitamin D, and they also provide protein and
healthy cholesterol. Don’t worry—the theory that eggs are as bad as
cigarettes is a myth was recently debunked by a Canadian study. To get the
most nutrients (and to be nicer to the planet and its other inhabitants,
like chickens), stick to farm-fresh varieties. You’ll know them when you
crack them because the yolks are bright orange, not yellow.
4. Cheese
Cheese can boost your diet with vitamin D, but as always you will want to
eat it in moderation — especially if it is not raw and from a local farm.
Get farm-fresh cheese to ensure that the dairy cows are at least eating
grass, as they’re meant to, not M&Ms and doughnuts as many now are.
5. Beef liver
Three ounces of this beef liver gets you 42 IUs of vitamin D as well as a
healthy dose of iron. Iron is generally useful particularly for women who
may be deficient in the substance.
6. Mushrooms
“Mushrooms contain a compound called ergosterol that gets converted to
vitamin D when exposed to UVB light,” says Tara McHugh, a researcher at
Western Regional Research Center of the Agricultural Research Service.
7. Sunlight (The Absolute Best)
Depending on your skin hue, anywhere from 10 minutes (light skin) to 30
minutes (dark skin) of near-full-body exposure in the summer sun without
sunscreen will fulfill your vitamin D intake. Remember that sunshine cannot
create vitamin D through glass, and it is always important to build up your
skin to the sunlight by going outside in increasingly larger amounts each
day.
If you’re concerned about excess sun exposure, you can always wear extra
clothing or a large hat. In addition, fix up your diet to include raw fruits
and vegetables along with organic dark chocolate. By changing your
nutritional intake, you can enhance the ability of your body to fight off
sunburn.
Additional Sources:
The Huffington Post
Eating Well
NIH
WH Foods
.
Read more:
http://naturalsociety.com/7-awesome-natural-sources-of-vitamin-d/#ixzz2A4RLSM2h