Vitamin D regulates calcium in the body and helps it to maintain strong bones. It is involved in healthy muscle movement, the nervous system relies on it, and it improves immune function as well as helping to reduce inflammation. A study conducted by the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center found that people who took a daily magnesium supplement also increased their vitamin D if they were suffering a deficiency and lowered their vitamin D levels if their levels were too high, as previously mentioned. Here Taylor Jones, RD, HealthLine.com, reflects on healthy foods that are high in vitamin D:

“Vitamin D is the only nutrient your body produces when exposed to sunlight.

However, up to 50% of the world's population may not get enough sun, and 40% of US residents are deficient in vitamin D (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

This is partly because people spend more time indoors, wear sunblock outside and eat a Western diet low in good sources of this vitamin.

The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is 600 IU of vitamin D per day from foods (3).

If you don't get enough sunlight, your intake should likely be closer to 1,000 IU per day (4Trusted Source).

Here are 9 healthy foods that are high in vitamin D.

Shrimp

Shrimp is a popular type of shellfish.

Yet unlike most other seafood sources of vitamin D, shrimp are very low in fat.

However, they still contain a good amount of vitamin D — 152 IU per serving, or 25% of the RDI (19).

They also contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, although at lower amounts than many other foods rich in vitamin D.

Shrimp also pack about 152 mg of cholesterol per serving, which is a significant amount. Yet, this should not be a cause for concern.

No strong evidence supports the idea that dietary cholesterol intake increases heart disease risk (20Trusted Source).

Even the US Department of Health and Human Services has removed its upper limit for cholesterol intake, stating that overconsumption of cholesterol is not an issue (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

Egg Yolks

People who don't eat fish should know that seafood is not the only source of vitamin D. Whole eggs are another good source, as well as a wonderfully nutritious food.

While most of the protein in an egg is found in the white, the fat, vitamins and minerals are found mostly in the yolk.

One typical egg yolk from chickens raised indoors contains 18–39 IU of vitamin D, which isn't very high (7Trusted Source, 24).

However, pasture-raised chickens that roam outside in the sunlight produce eggs with levels 3–4 times higher (25Trusted Source).

Additionally, eggs from chickens given vitamin D-enriched feed have up to 6,000 IU of vitamin D per yolk. That’s a whopping 10 times the RDI (26Trusted Source).

Choosing eggs either from chickens raised outside or marketed as high in vitamin D can be a great way to meet your daily requirements.

Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is a popular supplement. If you don't like fish, taking cod liver oil can be key to obtaining certain nutrients unavailable in other sources.

It’s an excellent source of vitamin D — at about 450 IU per teaspoon (4.9 ml), it clocks in at a massive 75% of the RDI. It's been used for many years to prevent and treat deficiency in children (13, 14Trusted Source).

Cod liver oil is also a fantastic source of vitamin A, with 90% of the RDI in just one teaspoon (4.9 ml). However, vitamin A can be toxic in high amounts.

Therefore, be cautious with cod liver oil, making sure to not take too much.

In addition, cod liver oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, in which many people are deficient.”

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