Today at work I was editing an article about vitamin D, and I picked up these pointers about this interesting nutrient.

Vitamin D helps the body to:

absorb calcium
aid bone and tooth formation
support muscle and nerve function
prevent osteoporosis

When you are exposed to the sun, your body converts a cholesterol compound in the skin to vitamin D. Therefore most Aussies get their main source of vitamin D through sunlight exposure.

Only a few foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D. These include:

Fatty fish like salmon and tuna
Fortified milk
Eggs
Fish-liver oils

It’s unlikely that enough vitamin D can be achieved through diet alone, therefore sun exposure is important. Your vitamin D and sun intake should bear in mind the associated risk of sun exposure and skin cancer. Groups at the greatest risk of vitamin D deficiency include dark-skinned and veiled women (particularly in pregnancy), their babies, and elderly people living in residential care.

Refs:  MJA 2002 177 (3): 149-15; Life Clinic

Filed under: Food & Nutrition