What are the foods richest in vitamin D?
We often hear that winter is conducive to weakening immunity. Cold, lack of sunlight, propensity to reduce physical activity and fall back on “comforting” dishes would make us more fragile in the face of infections. First responsible: vitamin D, which would be metabolized thanks to the sun’s rays, so rare in everyday winter life. But what exactly are the exact properties of vitamin D and where to find it?
What is vitamin D?
Pre-definition
Vitamin Dis a hormone that is characterized by its mixed nature. It is both endogenous, that is to say produced by the human body, and exogenous, that is to say from external sources, in this case from ourfood. It is therefore partly synthesized in theskin, thanks to the action of ultraviolet light from the sun, and absorbed via certain foods.
Vitamin D actually includes a set of hydrophobic and fat-soluble substances (dissolving only in fats), provitamins D. The two most important provitamins for the body are D2 (ergocalciferol), from plants, and D3 (cholecalciferol), found in animal products. As for the human body, it produces D3.
What is vitamin D used for?
Vitamin D is essential for the body. Nicknamed for a long time “antirickets vitamin” (rickets being due to vitamin D deficiency in childhood), it is essential for bones,musclesand heart. It actually acts in the intestines and kidneys and is involved in the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Thus it allows good bone mineralization (prevention of osteoporosis) and good muscle tone. In addition, it would have other positive actions on the body:
- It influences more than 200 genes and would therefore have a DNA repairing action(1)
- It could have a beneficial effect on certain diseases: diabetes(2),cancer(3),epilepsy(4),autoimmune diseases(5),neurodegenerative diseases(6)
- More recently, researchers have examined the possible preventive power of vitamin D against the coronavirus, since it strengthens the immune system against respiratory infections(7)
Also, to avoid vitamin D deficiency, there are two ways: daily sun exposure and an adequate diet.
Top 10 foods richest in vitamin D
FoodNo.1: cod liver oil
It is the champion of the charts, with 250 μg(micrograms) per 100g. In addition, cod liver oil is rich in omega-3 and vitamin A. It can be consumed as it is (for the bravest), but it is also possible to do cures of cod liver oil in capsules – considered adietary complimenttag. Finally, note that canned cod liver sees its content drop to 54μg per 100g.
Food # 2 : Fish Eggs
Caviar, salmon roe and lump roe are also rich in vitamin D, with respectively 6.5μg, 27μg and 2.3μg per 100g. These foods are also good sources ofProtein , for optimal muscle health.
Food # 3 : blue fish
Herring, pilchard, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, trout orsalmon, bluefishare naturally rich in vitamin D. So it would be wrong to deprive yourself of them, especially since they are tasty and are cooked in a thousand and one ways.
FoodNo.4: Chocolate
Food lovers will be delighted to know thatchocolateis a source of vitamin D. But beware, vitamin D is found in cocoa. Also, it is a question of favoring dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, or bitter cocoa powder.
FoodNo.5: the egg
It is in the raw eggyolk that vitamin D is found, up to 3.25μg. Raw egg white is poorly digested, but the yolk is very digestible. Prefer light cooking to take advantage of the benefits of egg yolk: soft-boiled, soft-boiled or poached.
Food # 6 : Mushrooms
Chanterelles, porcini mushrooms and even button mushrooms are good sources of vitamin D. However, the quantity decreases significantly during cooking. However, many mushrooms should not be eatenChanterelles, porcini mushrooms and even Paris mushrooms are good sources of vitamin D. However, the quantity decreases significantly during cooking. , like morels.
FoodNo.7: Canned tuna
Who doesn’t have a can of tuna in their personal grocery store? Canned yellowfin tuna contains 6.10μg of vitamin D per 100g. In addition, it adapts very well and can be used to make many dishes: tunaPasta, Savory cake, fine tuna-tomato tart, mimosa eggs. It would be foolish to deprive yourself of it.
Food # 8 : Cheese
Food # 9 : Veal Liver
A food rich in iron (this is why it is often recommended for people with anemia), group B vitamins… and vitamin D. We love it or we hate it, but it is clear that the liver of veal has undeniable nutritional qualities.
Food # 10 : Duck
Fat, foie gras, confit: duck has it all, both in terms of its taste and its richness in vitamin D. However, people concerned about their weight or prone to cholesterol should prefer meat (magret) to duck fat (candied), due to the obvious lipid content of the latter.
Finally, remember that some products are enriched with vitamin D, to compensate for deficiencies. Indeed, according to the Esteban study carried out by Santé Publique France(8), only one in four adults and three in ten children reach an adequate threshold in terms of vitamin D. The deficiency thus concerns 7% of French adults and 4% children. It may therefore be interesting, in addition to consuming the foods mentioned above, to add vitamin D-enriched foods to your diet, such asYogurts , milk, cottage cheese or certain soyDrinks.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.