With the Fall setting in, the amount of sunshine we are generally exposed to is reduced significantly. Hence if you do get the winter blues or the seasonal affective disorder, it is very important to top up your vitamin D levels naturally or by supplementing with Vitamin D.

What are the benefits of Vitamin D:

-Helps regulate blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, helping to build strong bone and healthy teeth.

-Helps in the prevention of osteoporosis, a disease that causes porous bones and thus an increased risk of fractures.

-Important for a healthy immune function as well, may help in preventing prostate, colon and breast cancer.

– Helps with slowing down the progression of osteoarthritis in the knees, although it does not prevent it.

Here is a list of foods that are high in Vitamin D along with the amounts of Vitamin D they contain:

Fish

• Herring or trout, cooked, 75g – 156IU
• Mackerel, cooked, 75g – 80IU
• Salmon, Atlantic, cooked, 75g – 225IU
• Salmon, canned or cooked, 75g – 608IU
• Sardines, Atlantic, canned, 75g – 70IU
• Sardines, Pacific, canned, 75g – 360IU
• Tuna, canned, light or white, 75g – 41IU
• Tuna, canned, yellowfin (albacore, ahi), 75g – 105IU
• Tuna, skipjack, cooked, 75g – 381IU
• Tuna, bluefin, cooked, 75g – 690IU

Other sources

• Milk, 1 cup – 100IU
• Fortified rice or soy beverage, 1 cup – 80IU
• Fortified orange juice, ½ cup – 45IU
• Fortified margarine, 2tsp – 51IU
• Egg yolk, 1 – 25IU

Overuse of Vitamin D supplements can result in elevated blood levels of calcium leading to weightless, nausea, and heart and kidney damage. Talk to your naturopath about testing your Vitamin D levels before taking supplements.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopath at the Nature’s  Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.