Factors that determine vitamin D levels - Diet
Factors that determine vitamin D levels
2. Diet
Although your customers can obtain vitamin D from their diet, exposure to sunlight is a much more efficient source (only about 10% will come from food sources). There are also a limited number of foods that contain sufficient amounts of vitamin D, the highest of which are contained in oily fish such as salmon or mackerel.
Although it is recommended to eat at least one portion (140g) of oily fish a week, most people do not consume this much.4 It is also not recommended to eat more than four portions a week, and intake is restricted to two portions a week in pregnant and breastfeeding women due to toxins contained within them (e.g. dioxins).
Did you know?...
You would have to consume 140g of salmon or mackerel or 6 boiled eggs to get the recommended daily intake of 10?g vitamin D from the diet,1 highlighting how difficult it can be to obtain sufficient vitamin D from food.
