Good Sources of Vitamin D

• Vitamin D can do great things for our health and should be taken in a multivitamin tablet
• Not having enough can increase your risk for congestive heart failure
• Good sources of vitamin D are found in fortified foods like milk. Check the food labels to see if that product is a good source
• Liquid Vitamin A Emulsion is a good source of Vitamin D.

The news is so full of health-related stories anymore that it can become easy for some truly good news and well-documented research to slip through the cracks. Vitamin D is one of the best examples. Continuing research has shown that this vitamin can do great things for our health, but many of us don’t know how to acquire adequate sources of vitamin D. Learning the benefits of this important nutrient and sources for it can be very useful to your health.

Why Look for Sources of Vitamin D?

Research has emerged during the last few years that has shown that vitamin D has some tremendous health benefits beyond helping our bodies absorb calcium more effectively. For example, not having enough vitamin D in your body could increase your risk for congestive heart failure. Some research is also suggesting that high levels of vitamin D can help reduce your risk of developing some types of cancer, especially colon cancer. Harvard research studies have also found that without adequate levels of this important vitamin in your body all the calcium in the world wouldn’t reduce your risks for bone fractures as you age.

Ways to Increase Vitamin D Intake

If you are looking for good sources of vitamin D, your first choice might be to take a multi-vitamin that contains vitamin D. Unfortunately, that may not help much. Not only will the amount of the vitamin included be minimal, but the vitamin A contained in the supplement will actually offset any vitamin D you consume in this manner.

You are better off, in most cases, finding natural sources of vitamin D. Many foods are fortified with the vitamin. Milk is one of the best examples. Drinking just one cup of fortified milk can provide you with one-fourth of the vitamin D you need in a day. Many other foods, such as cereals and bread, are fortified with varying amounts of vitamin D, so check your food labels and look for products that provide a good source.

Unfortunately, most of the foods we eat do not contain much vitamin D. You can get a good dose from cod liver oil. Cooked salmon or mackerel are decent sources, as are canned sardines. Cooked beef liver and egg yolks are also small sources of vitamin D.

The Most Natural Sources of Vitamin D

If you’re wondering how people ever got enough vitamin D before the introduction of fortified foods, the answer is simply that they spent more time outside. You see, our body manufactures vitamin D naturally but needs ultraviolet light in order to do so. That means exposure to the sunshine can be good for your health, at least in moderation.

Although the American Academy of Dermatology has long recommended very little to no sun exposure, some dermatologists are now recommending that some exposure is good exposure. That doesn’t mean that any health professional would suggest you spend hours bathing in the sun or that tanning beds are going to be counted as good sources of vitamin D; however, it does mean that spending a little time in the sun while boosting your nutritional intake of vitamin D is the best way to benefit from this useful vitamin.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.