Vitamin D sources for vegetarians | Fusion - WeRIndia

Vitamins are perhaps the most crucial nutrients required by the body. Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is required for the body to use phosphorus and calcium correctly. It also helps the body battle infections, and it ensures that the brain, heart, and lungs are working well.

However, some of the best sources of Vitamin D are eggs, liver, cod liver oil, and oily fish. While some people may eat these foods regularly, vegetarians cannot eat any of these foods.

Yet there are several vegetarian sources of Vitamin D which can be just as fulfilling as non-vegetarian sources. These are five of the best vegetarian sources of Vitamin D.

Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, are some of the biggest sources of Vitamin D.

In fact, one cup of milk can provide 19% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (or RDA) of Vitamin D for an adult. Cheese is also a particularly rich source for it.

Certain kinds of mushrooms can absorb Vitamin D from sunlight in their growing stages, such as shiitake mushrooms and white mushrooms. However, these mushrooms only provide a small percentage of  it, so plenty of them should be eaten in order to provide the body with a sufficient amount.

Soy products are an excellent source of it. Tofu, made from soy milk solids, can provide as much as 30% of one’s RDA of Vitamin D. Other soy products, such as soy milk and Miso, are also rich sources of the Vitamin.

Some of the best vegetarian sources of Vitamin D are foods that are fortified with it. Orange juice, yogurt, oatmeal, and cereals are often fortified with the vitamin.

However, although these fortified foods provide a great deal of Vitamin D, they are not natural sources of the vitamin.

Vitamin D can also be synthesized from sunlight exposure. Exposing oneself to sunlight for 15 minutes without sunscreen can easily provide the body’s daily intake of Vitamin D.

However, keep the exposure to morning or evening hours, when the sun’s rays are not so harsh and damaging.

Image by Beverly Buckley from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image by t_watanabe from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/photos/vitamin-d-calcium-tablets-healthy-3091385/ , https://pixabay.com/photos/cereals-milk-breakfast-bowl-sweets-4008373/