Most of us know vitamin D as the sunshine nutrient. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the human body. The vast majority of vitamin D is produced in the body when the skin is exposed to direct sunlight. Most humans get enough vitamin D from simply being outside. However, if you spend a lot of time indoors, or you live a particularly grey part of the world, you end up suffering from vitamin D deficiency. In order to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D, try adding some of this vitamin D filled drinks in this article into your diet.
Why is Vitamin D Important?
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the human body to stay healthy and fit. If you’re wondering whether you need to include drinks for vitamin D in your diet, read on to learn about the importance of this nutrient.
The key benefit of vitamin D is that it helps the health of the bones, muscles, and nervous system. There is also evidence to suggest that vitamin D contributes to a healthy immune system.
As most of us know, calcium is needed to keep the bones healthy. Vitamin D plays a vital role in the process by regulating the amount of calcium in the body. As such, a lack of vitamin D can result in bone-related problems and ailments.
What is Vitamin D Deficiency?
Without enough vitamin D, the body can develop a vitamin D deficiency. This deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world.
Symptoms
If you’re concerned about vitamin D deficiency, look out for these symptoms:
- Mood swings
- Bone loss
- Unexplained muscle cramps
- Bone and joint pain in the back
- Fatigue
Vitamin D deficiency can be hard to spot. If you’re in doubt about whether or not you have a vitamin D deficiency, it can’t hurt to include some drinks for vitamin D in your diet.
Health Effects of Vitamin D Deficiency
The following conditions can develop as a result of vitamin D deficiency:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Immune system disorder
- Multiple sclerosis
- Some types of cancer
How Much Vitamin D is Recommended?
So, just how much vitamin D does the human body need to function properly?
Vitamin D, like other vitamins, is usually measured in IU, which stands for international units, or micrograms. The average daily intake of vitamin D should be around 400-800 IU or 10-20 micrograms.
Certain individuals may need higher levels to regulate vitamin D levels. If you have little to no exposure to the sun, you are postmenopausal, or you are overweight, you may need a higher level of vitamin D in your diet. In some cases, you may need up to 2000 IU to ensure optimal blood levels.
Daily vitamin D can be gotten from 15-20 minutes of sun exposure, supplements, or food or drinks for vitamin D.
If you’re in doubt about how much vitamin D you should be adding to your diet, do not hesitate to speak to your doctor.
What Are Five Drinks For Vitamin D?
If you are interested in adding more vitamin D into your diet, you may struggle to find a wide variety of foods that contain the vitamin. While vitamin D is commonly found in fish and other fatty foods, it’s not found in many green vegetables or fruits. Luckily, it can be found in a few common drinks.
If you spend a lot of time indoors, try adding these drinks to your diet to up your daily vitamin D intake.
Cow Milk
Most of us already know that cow milk is a super drink when it comes to bone health. Milk is often associated with calcium which is known to fortify the bones. But, it’s also a great source of vitamin D. Studies show that an 8-ounce glass of milk can contain at least 100 IUs of vitamin D. This can make a huge difference in your daily dose of the vitamin. For many of us, 100 IUs will account for 25% of your day’s vitamin D intake.
You may also be able to find fortified milk. This milk is naturally cultivated in farms where cows are fed extra vitamin D to increase the IU count in their milk.
Try adding milk to cereal in the morning to get even more vitamin D into your diet.
Orange Juice with Added Vitamin D
If you aren’t a fan of drinking milk, orange juice can be another source of vitamin. However, it’s important that you find a brand that contains the vitamin. Simply Orange and Tropicana are two examples of orange juice brands that make pasteurized juice with calcium and vitamin D. Both of these brands add 100 IUs of vitamin D in their juice, so one 8-ounce glass will give you the same benefits as a glass of milk.
Enriched Almond, Oat and Soya Milk
If you happen to be lactose intolerant, or you are avoiding dairy products, almond, oat and soya milk can be a great alternative. Many companies are now producing enriched almond, oat and soya milk to give it the same benefits as milk. The amount of vitamin D in alternative milks differs depending on the brand you choose. However, in most cases, soya milk is a slightly better drink for vitamin D than almond and oat milk.
Try adding enriched milk alternatives to your morning coffee to get even more vitamin D on a daily basis.
Yogurt-based Smoothies
Yogurt is an excellent source of vitamin D. In order to make sure you’re getting the maximum benefits from yogurt, opt for a fortified product. Fortified Greek yoghurt, for instance, contains up to 60 IUs per 5-ounce serving. By including fortified yogurt in your smoothie, you’ll be able to sneak some extra vitamin D into your diet, while getting the probiotic benefits from yogurt as well.
Cod Liver Oil
Cod liver oil probably fills most people with a sense of dread and brings up images of Victorian nannies holding spoonfuls of disgusting syrup. While many people think of cod liver oil as an archaic health fad, it is an excellent source of vitamin D. In fact, 100 grams of cod liver oil contains 10,000 IU!
While fish oil isn’t a drink, it can easily be added to all kinds of beverages without affecting their taste. Chances are, you won’t want to consume 100 grams. In most cases, a few grams added to a drink will give you more than enough vitamin D.
We recommend adding cod liver oil to your favorite tasty drinks to make it easier to consume. For instance, try adding it to a strong acidic juice or a flavorful smoothie.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient. It helps the body to regulate calcium, so it is vital for bone health. Without enough vitamin D, the body can suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, leading to serious health concerns down the line.
By including some of these drinks in your diet, you will ensure that your body is getting the vitamin D it needs to stay healthy, even if you tend to spend a lot of the day indoors. We hope you’ve found this guide to drinks for vitamin D helpful and informative.
