Good Sources of Vitamin D
Why you need vitamin D, how much is enough, and where to get it
Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is increasingly being viewed as important. It's well known for working with calcium to strengthen your bones, but it may also help prevent osteoarthritis, reduce your risk of certain cancers, fight inflammation, and help regulate blood pressure.
Recommended Amount: How Much You Need
There's mounting evidence to support a bump in the daily dose of vitamin D. While the government recommendations are 600 international units (IU) per day if you're under 70 years of age and 800 IU if you're over 70, some members of the RealAge Scientific Advisory Board recommend taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D if you're under 60 years of age and 1,200 IU if you're over 60. The daily upper intake level for D is 2,000 IU a day -- so anything up to that is generally considered safe.
Good Sources of Vitamin D
There are three ways to get vitamin D: food, sunlight, and supplements. If you're not getting enough from your diet, or you don't spend much time outdoors (just 10–20 minutes in the sun can significantly boost your body's production of vitamin D), take a daily vitamin D supplement.
| Salmon, canned (3 ounces) | 530 IU |
| Salmon, cooked (3.5 ounces) | 240–360 IU |
| Tuna, canned (3 ounces) | 200 IU |
| Soymilk, fortified (8 ounces) | 100 IU |
| Orange juice, fortified (8 ounces) | 100 IU |
| Milk, low fat, fortified (8 ounces) | 98 IU |
| Cereal, fortified (1 cup) | 40–50 IU |
| Eggs (1 large) | 20–26 IU |
| Swiss cheese (1 ounce) | 12 IU |
Add vitamin D to your diet with these recipes:
- Blackened Salmon Sandwich
- Oven-Poached Salmon Fillets
- Nouveau Nicoise Salad
- Tomato, Tuna and Tarragon Salad
Find more healthy recipes with the RealAge Recipe Finder.
