Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.D., Nutrition — Written by Timothy Huzar on February 28, 2019
- Oily fish
- Mushrooms
- Egg yolks
- Fortified foods
- Getting enough vitamin D
- Summary
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Vitamin D is a type of nutrient that the body produces when a person’s skin has exposure to direct sunlight. People can also consume vitamin D, but it is not naturally present in many foods. High quantities of vitamin D are present in oily fish and certain types of mushrooms.
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), the key benefit of vitamin D is that it helps keep a person’s bones, muscles, and nerves healthy. It also contributes to a healthy immune system.
It is present in egg yolks if the chickens laying them are free-range. Some mushrooms also contain vitamin D.
However, no other plant-based foods produce vitamin D. For people whose diets are mostly vegetarian or vegan, and for people who do not or cannot spend a lot of time outdoors, it can be difficult to get enough vitamin D.
If a person has concerns that they are not getting enough vitamin D from direct sunlight, consuming the following foods will help increase the overall amount they have in their bodies.
If a person does not like fish, or if they are vegetarian or vegan, specific mushrooms may be an option. Some types of mushroom contain high amounts of vitamin D.
These include:
- Raw maitake mushrooms: These contain 562 IU per 50 grams (g), which is 94 percent of a person’s RDA.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: These contain 77 IU per 50 g, which is 12 percent of a person’s RDA.
Mushrooms with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can also contain large amounts of vitamin D. These may include:
- UV-exposed raw Portobello mushrooms: These contain 568 IU per 50 g, which is 95 percent of a person’s RDA.
- UV-exposed raw white mushrooms: These contain 523 IU per 50 g, which is 87 percent of a person’s RDA.
Manufacturers add vitamin D to many commercially available foods. People describe these foods as being fortified with vitamin D, or other nutrients.
Common foods with extra vitamin D and other nutrients include:
- cow’s milk
- orange juice
- various breakfast cereals
Share on PinterestVitamin D may provide resistance to some cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
According to the ODS, if a person does not have enough vitamin D in their diet, they are at risk of developing weak bones. Symptoms of this might include pain in a person’s bones or weakness in their muscles. These symptoms can be subtle initially.
There is some research to suggest that vitamin D may contribute to other health benefits, such as:
However, according to the ODS, there is not yet enough evidence to know whether this is the case. Existing research has yielded mixed results.
The RDA of vitamin D for all people aged 1–70 is 600 IU. For children below the age of 1, it is 400 IU, and for adults over 70, it is 800 IU. This assumes that a person has the minimum amount of direct sun exposure.
The general assumption is that a person who spends some time outside a few times per week will produce sufficient vitamin D. However, according to the ODS, this can vary considerably depending on:
- season
- time of day
- the presence of cloud cover or smog
- the color of a person’s skin
- whether a person is wearing sunscreen
Being in direct sunlight behind a window will not aid vitamin D production because glass cuts out the radiation that produces vitamin D.
Getting enough vitamin D is crucial to maintaining healthy bones. The easiest way of getting enough vitamin D is to regularly spend time outside, making sure that the arms, face, and legs have exposure.
Depending on a person’s dietary preferences, consuming enough vitamin D may be difficult. In this case, vitamin D supplements, which are available to purchase online, may be a beneficial choice.
However, if this is not possible, try to consume oily fish, some mushrooms, and free-range egg yolks.
Last medically reviewed on February 28, 2019
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular / Cardiology
- Immune System / Vaccines
- Nutrition / Diet
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- Basic report: 01132, egg, whole, cooked, scrambled. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/01132?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=whole+egg&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 04589, fish oil, cod liver. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/04589?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=Fish+oil%2C+cod+liver&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 11268, mushrooms, shiitake, dried. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11268?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=mushrooms&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 11938, mushroom, white, exposed to ultraviolet light, raw. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11938?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=mushroom+ultraviolet&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 11993, mushrooms, maitake, raw. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11993?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=Mushrooms%2C+maitake%2C+raw&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 11998, mushrooms, portabella, exposed to ultraviolet light, raw. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11998?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=mushroom+ultraviolet&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 15040, fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/15040?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=Fish%2C+herring%2C+Atlantic%2C+cooked%2C+dry+heat&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Basic report: 15111, fish, swordfish, cooked, dry heat. (2018).
//ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/15111?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=Fish%2C+swordfish%2C+cooked%2C+dry+heat&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing= - Kühn, J., et al. (2014). Free-range farming: A natural alternative to produce vitamin D-enriched eggs.
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24607306 - Vitamin D [Fact sheet]. (2016).
//ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/ - Vitamin D [Fact sheet]. (2018).
//ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-health%20Professional/
Last Updated: April 23rd, 2022
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin required by the body for the absorption of calcium, bone development, immune functioning and alleviation of inflammation. (1)
A deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to rickets, a weakened immune system, increased cancer risk, poor hair growth and osteomalacia. (1)
Excess vitamin D can cause the body to absorb too much calcium, leading to increased risk of heart disease and kidney stones. (1)
The current daily value (DV) for vitamin D is 20μg (micrograms) and the toxicity threshold is thought to be 250 to 1000 μg/day. (1)
Sometimes vitamin D values are given in IU (International Units). When this is the case remember that 1μg=40IU for Vitamin D. (1)
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means you need to eat fat to absorb it. Foods high in vitamin D include fish, mushrooms exposed to sunlight, fortified milk, fortified milk substitutes, fortified tofu, fortified yogurt, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified orange juice, pork chops, and eggs.
Vitamin D is also made by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and is therefore called the sunshine vitamin. This accounts for approximately 90% of our total vitamin D, with only 10% coming from food. Depending on where you live, 20 minutes of sun exposure a day is enough to meet your vitamin D requirements.
Below is a list of the top 10 foods highest in vitamin D by common serving size, for more see the nutrient ranking of 200 foods high in vitamin D.
See All 200 Foods High in Vitamin D
- Breastfed Infants Who are Not in the Sun - The amount of vitamin D in breast milk depends on the amount of vitamin D in the mother. However, breast-milk typically does not contain adequate amounts of vitamin D. Be sure infants get some exposure to the sun (at least 10-20 minutes per day) to ensure adequate levels of vitamin D. (1)
- Older Adults - As skin ages it is less and less able to make vitamin D from the sun, so vitamin D has to be attained from foods or supplements. (1)
- People With Little Sun Exposure on the Skin - Wearing sunscreen, or lots of clothing, hampers the production of vitamin D from the sun. (1)
- People with Darker Skin - Melanin, a pigment found in skin, reduces the body's ability to manufacture vitamin D from the sun. (1)
- People who have Problems Absorbing Fat - Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means it is found in fats, and your body has to be able to digest fats in order for you to absorb the vitamin D. (1)
- People Taking Certain Medications
- Steroid Corticosteroid medications used to alleviate inflammation can reduce calcium absorption and impair vitamin D metabolism. (1)
- Weight-loss drugs with orlistat as well as cholesterol-lowering drugs with cholestyramine can reduce the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins. (1)
- Medicines used to treat epileptic seizures, particularly phenobarbital and phenytoin, interfere with Vitamin D and reduces calcium absorption. (1)
Vegetables high in vitamin D include mushrooms which have been exposed to sunlight. Other vegan foods high in vitamin D include fortified soy products like tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt, fortified cereals, and fortified juices.
Unfortunately, no fruits are high in vitamin D, and fortified orange juice is currently the only fruit product commonly sold with vitamin D.
Consuming too much vitamin D from food or supplements can lead to anorexia, weight loss, polyuria, heart arrhythmias, kidney stones, and increased risk of heart attacks. Vitamin D cannot reach toxic levels if created naturally from sun exposure. (1)
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