What Are the Benefits of Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a hormone your body produces when you come into contact with sunlight. It’s also a fat soluble vitamin found in food like fatty fish, eggs, and nutritional supplements. You need vitamin D for a handful of reasons including keeping your bones strong as it helps with the absorption of other essential nutrients like calcium and phosphorus — the building blocks of your bones. 

Vitamin D is also called the sunshine vitamin. When your skin comes into contact with the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV rays), the receptors on your skin start synthesising vitamin D production. This makes it an easy nutrient to obtain if you live in a sunny place. If you don’t live in a sunny place, however, it is easy to become vitamin D deficient. 

The vitamin D is only naturally available in a few foods. You can get vitamin D from: 

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Swordfish
• Trout
• Sardines
• Fish liver oils
• Beef liver
• Egg yolks
• Some kinds of mushrooms 

You can also buy vitamin D-fortified milks, breakfast cereals, and juices.