What Is Vitamin D & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Vitamin D exists in two forms, vitamin D2, and vitamin D3.

It is fat-soluble. It means that the body does not need it every day. We have the potential to store it in the body.

Despite its name, vitamin D is not a vitamin. It is a hormone that is synthesized by sunlight.

The body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed directly to the sun.

Vitamin D is vital for our overall health.

Vitamin D2 And Vitamin D3

Vitamin D exists in two forms. Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. (source ◳)

There are a few differences between the two D vitamins.

Vitamin D2

Vitamin D2 is obtained from the UV irradiation of the yeast sterol ergosterol and is also found naturally in sun-exposed mushrooms.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is called the more natural form of vitamin D because the body can synthesize vitamin D3 from exposure when UVB light from the sun strikes the skin. (source ◳)

Benefits Of Vitamin D

There are many health benefits that can come from having adequate vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is important for bone health in both children and adults.

It has also the ability of reducing risk for many chronic diseases including autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, many cancers, and infectious diseases. (source ◳)

Getting enough vitamin D are vital for maintaining health. You can find research-backed benefits of vitamin D in Vitamin D (D2 + D3): 12 Research-Backed Benefits .

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency affects almost 50% of the population worldwide. It is a growing problem. (source ◳)

Current studies suggest that we may need more vitamin D than is presently recommended to prevent chronic disease. (source ◳)

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis and fractures.

Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases and depression.

In children, it can cause rickets.

How To Get Vitamin D

The major source of vitamin D for children and adults is exposure to natural sunlight. (source ◳)

In foods, vitamin D3 is only found in animal-sourced foods, and vitamin D2 is found in plant sources and fortified foods. (source ◳)

To get sufficient vitamin D from natural food sources alone is difficult. It means that consumption of vitamin D-fortified foods and exposure to some sunlight are essential for maintaining a healthy vitamin D status. (source ◳)

Both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are synthesized commercially and are found in dietary supplements or fortified foods. (source ◳)

Plenty Of Vitamin D Supplements Available

There are a lot of vitamin D supplements available to choose from.

The trick is to know which one to buy.

We've written a whole article about what vitamin D supplements we think are of the highest quality.

You will find it in Recommended Vitamin D Supplements

Foods You Can Find Vitamin D (D2 + D3) In

You find Vitamin D (D2 + D3) mostly in fats and oils, seafood, and vegetable products.

Examples of food sources include

• Cod Liver Fish Oil
• Smoked Carp
• Smoked Eel
• Dried Salmon
• Raw Mushrooms
• Raw Portabella Mushrooms
• Smoked Trout

Foods in our nutrition tool

You can find regularly updated, top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most Vitamin D (D2 + D3) we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Vitamin D (D2 + D3).