If there is no sun or if you wear long hair: where do you get vitamin D?

Vitamin D is important not only for bones, but also for the proper functioning of the immune system. Most of us know that vitamin D comes to the body mainly from the sun. The vitamin exists in the body in an inactive form, and exposure of about 10 minutes a day of the face and arms can be enough to create its active form. But what do you do on gray or rainy days, when you hardly leave the house, or when you are covered in long clothes because of the cold?

Salmon and oily fish: This is the richest dietary source of vitamin D. 100 grams of salmon – about 10-15 micrograms of vitamin D. Sardines, mackerel and herring – they also contain significant amounts (slightly less than salmon). That is: one meal of oily fish can cover a large part, and sometimes almost the entire daily need.

Yogurts and hard cheeses: here it is important to be precise – the amounts are much smaller. Hard / fatty cheeses – about 0.2 micrograms per slice (not significant). Plain yogurt – about 1 microgram per whole container. Yogurts fortified with vitamin D – can contain more (check the label). That is: it is a small addition, but not a main source.

An important myth that needs to be dispelled in the context of yogurt: is the calcium from 0% fat yogurt not absorbed because it does not contain fat or vitamin D? This is simply not true. Calcium is also absorbed from 0% fat yogurt. Calcium absorption is almost independent of the amount of fat in the product itself. Vitamin D does not have to be in the yogurt!

It is found in the body from other sources – sun, food or a supplement – and once it is present in the body, it helps the absorption of calcium from any food source, even if the food itself is low in fat. That is: there is no need to “add” fat to yogurt for the calcium to work. Yogurt 0% = excellent source of calcium.

Mushrooms: another myth!!! Mushrooms are the only plant source that contains vitamin D – only if exposed to UV light. In normal mushrooms – there is almost no vitamin D. Shiitake mushrooms can contain a few micrograms per 100 grams. It is still only a secondary contribution.