Vitamin D

Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin

You need vitamin D for healthy bones and to boost your immune system, but use care when getting it from sun exposure. Eating fortified foods and taking dietary supplements are safer.

By Beth W. Orenstein

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Vitamin D, an essential vitamin, is both a hormone-like compound and a fat-soluble vitamin, says Roberta Anding, MS, RD, sports dietitian at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute in Houston and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “Almost all cells and tissues of the body require vitamin D.”

Vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods. However, vitamin D is often added to other foods, sometimes called vitamin D-fortified foods, and can also be taken as a dietary supplement. Also, when the skin is exposed to the sun, our bodies make vitamin D. “That’s why it’s often referred to as the sunshine vitamin,” Anding explains.

Vitamin D's benefits include:

* It brings calcium to your bones and teeth, helping to protect you against bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Its role in bone health is probably the best-known vitamin D benefit, Anding says.

* It regulates how much calcium stays in your blood, contributing to heart health.

* It helps strengthen your immune system and regulate cell growth.

Good Vitamin D Sources

Natural sources of vitamin D include egg yolks and cold-water fish such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon. “Grandma’s cure-all, cod liver oil, is an excellent source of vitamin D,” Anding says.

Many foods are fortified with vitamin D, including:

* Milk

* Breakfast cereals

* Margarine

* Orange juice

* Yogurt

* Cheese

* Bread

* Soy drinks

Read the nutrition facts panel of the product to see if it has been fortified with vitamin D.

Most people can produce adequate amounts of vitamin D by getting 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure every day. But using sunscreen can block vitamin D production, and...