In a research study on the effect of vitamin D on blood pressure, researchers conducted a review on the evidence regarding vitamin D. This post will take you through the latest info about vitamin D2 and how this nutrient benefits your heart health.
Food With Vitamin D2
If a person has concerns that they are not getting enough vitamin D from direct sunlight, consuming the following foods will help increase the overall amount they have in their bodies.
Oily fish
Mushrooms
If a person does not like fish, or if they are vegetarian or vegan, specific mushrooms may be an option. Some types of mushroom contain high amounts of vitamin D.
These include:
- Raw maitake mushrooms: These contain 562 IU per 50 grams (g, which is 94 percent of a person’s RDA.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: These contain 77 IU per 50 g, which is 12 percent of a person’s RDA.
Egg yolks
Egg yolks can also be high in vitamin D, especially if the chickens are free-range. For example, a dish of scrambled eggs using two large hen eggs contains 88 IU, which is 15 percent of a person’s RDA.
Fortified foods
Manufacturers add vitamin D to many commercially available foods. People describe these foods as being fortified with vitamin D, or other nutrients.
Common foods with extra vitamin D and other nutrients include:
- cow’s milk
- orange juice
- various breakfast cereals
Getting enough vitamin D
According to the ODS, if a person does not have enough vitamin D in their diet, they are at risk of developing weak bones. Symptoms of this might include pain in a person’s bones or weakness in their muscles. These symptoms can be subtle initially.
There is some research to suggest that vitamin D may contribute to other health benefits, such as:
- resistance to some cancers
- cardiovascular diseases
- diabetes
- hypertension
- multiple sclerosis
However, according to the ODS, there is not yet enough evidence to know whether this is the case. Existing research has yielded mixed results.
The RDA of vitamin D for all people aged 1–70 is 600 IU. For children below the age of 1, it is 400 IU, and for adults over 70, it is 800 IU. This assumes that a person has the minimum amount of direct sun exposure.
The general assumption is that a person who spends some time outside a few times per week will produce sufficient vitamin D. However, according to the ODS, this can vary considerably depending on:
- season
- time of day
- the presence of cloud cover or smog
- the color of a person’s skin
- whether a person is wearing sunscreen
Being in direct sunlight behind a window will not aid vitamin D production because glass cuts out the radiation that produces vitamin D.