What is 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.