What foods have the most vitamin D: list, percentage, features of absorption by the body

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

From time to time in our body there is a lack of certain vitamins, which affects he alth and appearance. In order for all body systems to function normally, nutrition must be as balanced as possible and saturated with those minerals that affect the functioning of certain organs. But how do you know how to create your daily menu so that our cells get everything they need? It is known that certain micronutrients can be obtained from foods that contain them most. In this article, we will consider which foods contain vitamin D and why a person needs it.

What is Vitamin D?

There is an opinion that it is obtained from solar energy. And this is true, because this fat-soluble vitamin is formed in skin cells under the influence of direct ultraviolet rays. Most often the bodyergocalciferol D2 and cholecalciferol D3 are used in equal amounts. To completely cover the deficiency of vitamin D3, it is enough to sunbathe up to half an hour three times a week. To replenish D2 reserves, you need to eat food containing this component. However, what foods contain the highest amount of vitamin D? You need to know this in order to more effectively enrich your body with these beneficial substances.

Vitamin D is most found in animal products, although it is also found in plant foods, but in smaller quantities. The importance of this substance for the harmonious development of man can hardly be overestimated. It regulates the exchanges of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, helps in the normal development of bones, teeth and nails, strengthens the skeleton and gives it sufficient strength for a normal life, forms and strengthens muscles. Without this vitamin, each of us would have had a very difficult time. That's why it's so important to understand which foods contain more vitamin D.

The value of vitamin for the human body

Man is a very complex organism, and he develops according to the program that nature has laid in him. For example, the supply of calcium is carried out primarily to meet the needs of nerve cells. And even though this requires only 1% of the total amount of the mineral, but with its deficiency, this amount will be absorbed from the bones of the skeleton, which will gradually weaken it. If calcium is not replenished in a timely manner, various diseases can occur,it is even possible to stop the work of the muscular system and, as a result, cardiac arrest. To prevent such a sad outcome, you should not allow a shortage of this mineral in the body and learn well for yourself which foods contain more vitamin D. After all, it is he who is responsible for its absorption.

In addition, this useful vitamin is absolutely necessary to ensure good blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, accurate heart function, and also for sufficient excitability of nerve cells. It also improves immunity, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, the proper functioning of the intestines and kidneys, prevents the appearance of rickets and osteoporosis, and normalizes the function of the thyroid gland. This vitamin has proven to be very effective in the prevention of cancer and even in their treatment, as well as in the fight against AIDS.

Consumption rate for people of different ages

Before we turn to the question of which foods contain the most vitamin D, we need to consider what the body needs for this substance. According to medical indicators, for a he althy adult, the daily norm is from 2.5 to 5 mcg, for pregnant and lactating - 10, for infants - from 7.5 to 10, for children - from 2.5 to 10 (depending on their gender and age), older people over 60 are shown 10-15 mcg.

It should be noted that vitamin D is found in varying amounts in foods such as nettle, horsetail, parsley, mushrooms, and yeast. It is also abundant in chicken eggs, herring, milk and dairy products, animal liver, fish oil,tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel, trout, caviar. Which foods have the most vitamin D? In the meantime, one more important issue needs to be clarified. What are the symptoms of deficiency and excess of vitamin D in the body? Read more about it below.

The main signs of vitamin D deficiency in the body

The lack of vitamin D in the human body is fraught with serious consequences. But uncontrolled saturation of cells with this element can also bring many problems. That is why such a balanced consumption of products is so relevant in order to stay on that fine line that denotes the norm. Here are the main symptoms that appear when there is a deficiency of this substance or an overdose of it, so that it is easier for you to navigate your condition and understand, increase or decrease the intake of foods containing vitamin D. In which foods it is present, it has already been noted earlier, but we will stop more on this later.

Deficiency symptoms:

• severe depression;
• muscle weakness;
• damaged teeth;
• thickening and pain in the joints;
• poor appetite;
• persistent insomnia;
• weight loss;
• poor vision;
• burning sensation in the mouth and throat.

The main signs of an excess of vitamin D in the body

It is believed that an overdose is even more dangerous than a lack of this element. Symptoms of too much vitamin D:

• strong weakness;
• nausea;
• sharp joint pain;
• loss of appetite;
• manifestation of diarrhea or constipation;
• headache and muscle pain;
• slow pulse;
• febrile conditions;
• shortness of breath;
• high blood pressure;
• convulsions;
• osteoporosis;
• atherosclerosis;
• deposition of calcium s alts in various organs, which makes it difficult for them to perform their basic functions.

What should alert and what to do with a deficit?

In case of deficiency, according to doctors, it is very difficult to replenish the required amount of vitamin D with food alone - additional medications will be required to fully satisfy the needs of the body. In any case, if you notice signs of deficiency or overdose, do not self-medicate and consult a doctor. In a medical institution, according to the results of a laboratory test, it will be precisely established how much and what is missing. Based on these data, the specialist will prescribe the right treatment, and you will not expose your body to various troubles. In addition, the doctor will give you nutritional advice, tell you which foods have the most vitamin D and how much to eat.

So, with a lack of vitamin D, even one of the following signs should alert you:

• If you often get sick, that is, your immunity is reduced and the body resists viruses, infections and bacteria very weakly. Persistent colds, flu, bronchitis,pneumonia may well haunt you due to a lack of this substance in the body.
• If you have chronic fatigue and a noticeable lack of energy.
• Persistent pain in the bones and joints, discomfort in the back, legs, lower back, ribs - this is due to the lack of calcium, which is removed from the human skeleton with a lack of vitamin D in the diet.
• Painful frequent depressions, especially during the cold season, when the sun is very rare and its intensity is especially weak.
• If the skin regenerates very slowly and wounds heal.
• Intensive hair loss, which can later develop into alopecia or partial or complete baldness.
• Persistent muscle pain.
• Uncontrolled obesity.

Vitamin features

In itself, this substance is simply unique. For it acts in two forms - a fat-soluble vitamin and at the same time a prohormone. It is synthesized directly in the body with sufficient sunlight. When a long series of cloudy and gloomy autumn-winter days sets in, a person can no longer get enough vitamin D by exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation on skin cells, and his shortage immediately begins to be felt. During this period, the body needs to be saturated by eating foods that contain it.

However, you should not uncontrollably eat a lot of foods rich in vitamin D. Of course, they are all very tasty and a pleasure to eat, so there is a danger of exceeding the threshold of necessary too muchstrategic reserve, which also has a very detrimental effect on the body and causes rather unpleasant symptoms indicated earlier. As a rule, this overabundance is caused by too large doses of fish oil entering the body when eating salmon or trout.

Be clear about which foods are high in vitamin D and which are moderate or low in order to create a he althy set menu for every sun-poor day. For this reason, it is highly recommended to get a doctor's prescription not only for additional drugs, but also for the dosage of the use of certain dishes. Thus, we finally move on to what foods contain vitamin D.

Features of assimilation

Vitamins are called biologically active, beneficial substances for the human body. They are catalysts for most of the metabolic processes that occur inside a person. When you know which foods contain a large amount of vitamin D, it is easier to regulate the optimal amount of nutrients that are required by all systems of the human body for the normal performance of their functions. Under the substance in question is meant a whole group of components, united by the term "fat-soluble vitamins". And it means that these nutrients can only be dissolved in lipids or organic compounds.

If vitamin D fully enters the body, it produces important trace elements for humans - calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, which are very well and correctly absorbed. In case of shortage of this substancethe picture is reversed and a person begins to have problems with bones, teeth, muscles and the work of internal organs.

Fish and fish oil

To maintain the level of a substance in the body necessary for normal life, it is necessary to remember which foods contain the most vitamin D.

The first and main supplier of it to the human body is fish, especially its fatty varieties. Many still remember from childhood how parents stuffed the younger generation with a medicine that was nasty in taste and smell - fish oil. And this is no coincidence. He is a real champion among other sources supplying this vitamin. But it should be remembered that 100 g of this product contains such a high dose of the substance that it exceeds the daily allowance many times over! Fish oil contains 2500% of the daily requirement. But who would drink that much when even a spoonful of this substance is not easy to swallow?

Which foods are rich in vitamin D? These are different varieties of fish and their products - caviar, liver. Quite a lot of this substance in mackerel, salmon, eel. They are also very rich in tuna, sea bass, herring - all this is a real storehouse of vitamins, not to mention the fact that these products are incredibly tasty and nutritious, moreover, they are quickly and easily absorbed by the body.

Raw fish

Undoubtedly, there is much more vitamin D in raw fish than in the one that has undergone heat treatment, but who would dare to eat it in this form? Even if it is sushi, it also undergoes a certain processing. ToThe choice of fish should be approached very seriously and be as careful as possible. The ideal option would be fresh, a little worse, but it's also good to use chilled. It is undesirable to take frozen fish to replenish vitamin D reserves; in extreme cases, you can use canned food.

Fish varieties and the percentage of the element's daily requirement for them

Let's see which foods have the most vitamin D among the fish assortment (per 100 grams serving). For example, salmon, as well as salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, trout caught in the natural habitat, are much superior in percentage of this element to their ennobled counterparts bred on special farms. The richest of them is keta - 163%, followed by:

• mackerel - 161%;
• sockeye salmon - 111, 3%
• swordfish - 110.7%;
• salmon - 110%;
• pink salmon - 109%;
• black granular caviar - 80%;
• tuna - 57%;
• river perch - 30%;
• red granular caviar - 29%;
• flounder - 28%;
• pike - 25%;
• sea bass - 23%;
• pollock - 10%;
• cod - 9%.

But the fattest and richest in vitamin D fish is ordinary, affordable herring, one hundred grams of which contains 300% of the daily requirement of the vitamin.

Caviar

I would also like to mention fish caviar - black or red. This delicacy now product, if you eat a teaspoon of it, can give only 9% of the required daily amount of vitamin D. So providing the body with useful substances will costextremely expensive if you focus on these products.

Fish liver and oysters

Much cheaper and richer in vitamins fish liver, like animals. Even a common eel contains a dose of vitamin D that exceeds eight times the daily requirement. That's quite a lot. Canned fish is capable of providing 70% of the daily requirement with a serving of 150 grams. Oysters are also quite rich in this vitamin and can provide almost 60-80% of the required amount per day.

Other products

And what foods contain vitamin D yet? This is:

• chicken eggs - 22%, and the yolk - 77%, and the eggs must be from free-grazing domestic chicken;
• cheese "Cheddar" and "Swiss" - 10%;
• chanterelle and morel mushrooms - about 50%;
• butter - 13-18%;
• cheese "Dutch" 45%, the same percentage has "Camembert", "Roquefort", as well as egg powder;
• goat milk - 13%;
• ghee - 18%;
• ceps - 2%;
• Suluguni cheese - 7%;
• quail egg - 14%;
• milk, sour cream and cream - from 1 to 3%;
• cheese "Adyghe" and processed "Sausage" - 6%;
• cottage cheese - 1-6% depending on fat content;
• oyster mushrooms, shiitake, champignons - respectively 7, 4, and 1%.

Such products are good for immunity, improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Note that shiitake mushrooms are better absorbed by the body than,for example, cow's milk.

There is another very important group of products - meat and offal. Beef liver, for example, with a 100-gram portion will provide the body with 10% of the norm, and well-fried pork - 7%. By the way, the first product also contains iron, protein and vitamin A.

Small conclusion

In this article, we examined in detail which foods contain a lot of vitamin D, indicated the percentage in each of them. They also indicated the daily requirement for the substance, so that it would be easier for you to form your daily diet during a period of lack of sunlight. However, do not overdo it in your desire to provide the body with the necessary vitamin - remember the consequences and avoid overdosing. Everything is good in moderation. Even he althy foods can be harmful if overused. Therefore, try to make a correct and balanced diet that will provide your body with all the necessary substances. Then he alth problems will bypass you.