Vitamin D is one of some most popular vitamins among others. It is well known as a vitamin functioning well in keeping the health of bone by supporting the calcium absorption in the body. Other than that, vitamin D also plays a very important role in optimizing the absorption of nutrition of fosfor. Fosfor and calcium are two basic elements in bone ‘creation’ and development. It is fair to say that for stimulating bone growth, keeping its development stable and fighting with common health problems of bone, particularly because of the aging factor, vitamin D is all that is needed in addition to regular exercise and healthy life style.
All complete and needed information about vitamin D would be delivered in this article following this list of subtitle;
Facts About Vitamin D
In the context of categorization, vitamin D is one of vitamins melting at the fat. The calcium and fosfor absorbed more easily by the body in favor of vitamin A also work well for teeth care to make it strong and well-structured.You can, therefore, imagine how important a role of bone and vitamin D are. It is absolutely needed by people from all ages particularly pregnant woman who is supposed to assure the baby’s growth process as early as possible. Meanwhile, elderly people need it to avoid some common diseases such as osteoporosis.
Moreover, vitamin D also has other functions ranging from improving body immune, fighting any infection and disease, preventing diabetes, cancer even senility. This information shows that vitamin D is really well needed by people from different ages. Fortunately, vitamin D does not only come from food or drink supply, but also from sunlight. A direct contact between sunlight and skin would lead body to conduct a chemical process which could produce vitamin D naturally. This implies that anyone could have free-vitamin D supply by just basking in the sun at certain period of time.
One more basic information you need to know about vitamin D is that it has two main categories. They are D2 and D3. The former category is also called by ergocalciferol. It includes all vitamin D from the source of plant or vegetable nutrition. Meanwhile, the later part is called cholecalciferol coming from sun light and other nutrient sources, such as animal protein. The more complete information about this category would later be developed in the explanation of vitamin D foods in the next part.
Vitamin D Daily Need
Children, teenagers and adult need about 200 UI, adults (51-70 years) need about 400 UI of vitamin D, while elderly people (above 70) need more than 400 UI as they have more risky threat of osteoporosis.
In other words, the older someone is, the more vitamin D need he/she has as the problem usually comes by the age in addition to any accident suffering bone or teeth.
Related with the above mentioned information, you could not rely on sun light only for fulfilling your vitamin D daily need, because at maximum, sun light could only cover 80% of the total amount you need daily. Moreover, it is important to notice that vitamin D from sunlight is only available from 6-9 PM at the morning. This means that before and after the time, you may not be able to get vitamin D supply.
If you could take enough time for sunbathing (about 5-10 minutes) at that period of time, you still need additional vitamin D supply from food. Do know that taking too much time for sunbathing could endanger you, such as causing skin cancer and early aging symptoms.
How Vitamin D Works
Just like common people, you may imagine how vitamin D works in a human body. First of all, after the ‘entrance’ of vitamin D through the food supply or self creation through the sun light, vitamin D would automatically run into some main parts of body ranging from heart, liver and the bone. Later, vitamin D would ‘conduct’ the care of body cells so they could work well and properly, in particular to support calcium supply distribution to blood, bone and intestine.
More or less, the above information shows that vitamin D could assure the body metabolism process works well due to its function in distributing calcium supply to the three main parts of body organ. Blood functions in sending away oxygen and food supply to all parts of body, bone in supporting body growth and sustain all organs while intestine in digestive system particularly in food absorption and the other processes. The proper work and function of those three organs is the main requirement of a healthy body and strong fortress from some health disturbances and problems. Some sources even mention that in certain condition, vitamin D could change itself and its function becoming hormone or calsitiriol.
Vitamin D Benefits
As slightly mentioned before, vitamin D mainly functions in caring bone and teeth. However, it does not mean that vitamin D only benefits for those two organs. Vitamin D also works well for these things;
a. Helping the absorption of magnesium and calcium in whole organs of a body
b. Covering the need of calcium and fosfor level in the blood
c. Controlling development phase of bone and teeth
d. Supporting muscle function significantly, ranging from muscle of heart, lung and brain so any possible infection could be avoided
e. Healing various skin problems, particularly psoriasis
In addition to those mentioned benefits, vitamin D also works well in various functions, yet it is generally in specific vitamin D food. That is why, those benefits are not mentioned in this subtitle.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D Deficiency and its Factor
Paying attention to the benefits of vitamin D and particular benefits of each vitamin D foods might give you ideas about consequences of vitamin D inadequacy. It is fair to say that the inadequacy of vitamin D would cause opposite results of adequate supply of vitamin D. In addition to it, here is some information on bad effects of vitamin D inadequacy you could consider so you would pay more attention to the vitamin D need of you and your family
However, those two bad effects only suffer people with long-time duration or high level of vitamin D inadequacy. Before those diseases come, many symptoms usually proceed them and some of them are as follow;
Therefore, if you find yourself often suffer those three main symptoms in your daily, you better add vitamin consumption in your daily meal to prevent the worse thing happens. Seeing the doctor could also be preferable solution because you could find accurate diagnose and right treatment. Anyway, for preventing the symptoms as well as the diseases because of vitamin D inadequacy, you should know factors or causes beyond the vitamin D inadequacy as would be explained below;
Many factors could play a big role in causing vitamin D inadequacy and this could be different among people. However, in general, those factors, are first, unhealthy life style and the second is too strict vegetarian diet. For the first factor, it could be stimulated by spending too much time in front of screen, smoking or rare contact with sunlight. Meanwhile for the second one, it happens for those who are in diet program and avoid consuming vitamin D foods. For this kind of case, one thing to pay attention besides of meal menu is the meal combination. It would be ok to consume vitamin D foods with vegetables but it is not recommended to consume it along with carbohydrate.
Vitamin D Foods
Vitamin D foods are relatively easy to find at surrounding. People like to joke that in comparison to other vitamin foods, vitamin D food has the most delicious taste since it consists of egg, certain types of fish, mushroom, cheese, heart of cow and so on. It is also common to cook those materials in variety of ways, tastes and also looks so that people have some and various ideas in cooking those. More or less, it makes vitamin D more preferable than others especially for kids or teenagers who tend to prefer food they are going to consume based on taste, appetite and look.
Below is the more detail information about vitamin D foods you could consider to complete your knowledge about the topic. It is also possible that you have not known some of them so that it would be good for you to pay very much attention;
No.17 Source of vitamin D Foods is cheese products, Cheese is one of products made by milk. It is generally from the beef and ripened during certain period of time. Therefore, it offers different taste from milk. Cheese is generally salty, while milk is sweet, if not plain before mixed with sugar. The special taste of cheese makes it preferable for cooking various types of cook, cake even beverage. In addition to special and delicious taste—at least for some people—cheese is also rich of vitamin D and some other good essences including protein, amino acid, vitamin A, B 12, E and K.
For your information, cheese has many types or categories. One of which is ricotta cheese with the highest amount of vitamin D (approximately 36 IU for 100 gram). However, this native Italian type of cheese is relatively hard to find so that if you could not find it, you could consume any type of cheese anyway since all of type contains vitamin D. One of the most common cheese you can find it easily at your surrounding is what is called by cedar cheese with its two color variants, plain yellow and white. This type of cheese contains 16 IU of vitamin D in each 100 gram.
Particular benefits of cheese consumption consist of;
a. Together with vitamin D, mineral essence would avoid teeth problem.
b. Supporting muscle net development, body cell metabolism through its amino acid
c. Synthesizing enzyme anti-oxidant through selenium essence
Mushroom is one of the most favorite vegetables as it tastes like greasy even though it comes from vegetable category instead of meat or any animal protein. It makes people like to consume mushroom and cooking it in various ways and looks. If you are one of people who like to consume mushroom, you could consider to keep your favorite because in addition to delicious taste, it is also rich of vitamin D, particularly certain types of mushroom.
One of the most popular types of mushroom with high nutrition of vitamin D is shitake. This Japanesse mushroom has 20,8 IU of vitamin D in its 100 g. Its shape is not totally different from other types of mushroom except the ‘head’ part of it which is very small and resembling a sprout. It receives high amount of sunlight supply as it grows in open area, and therefore contains high number of vitamin D.
Another type of mushroom with vitamin D is white mushroom or typically called by snow mushroom. Although the essence of vitamin D in white mushroom is not as big as shitake mushroom (18,0 IU for each 100 g), this mushroom is very rich of other types of good essence including 17 types of amino acid, magnesium, iron, selenium and the likes. Among those essence, calcium and iron are still the most significant so you do not need to hesitate on its great function for your body.
If you could not find those two types of mushroom, you do not to worry because basically, you can just find and consume any type of mushroom. Simply dry it or put it under the sun light and the vitamin D essence—which is originally low, about 4% of daily need of vitamin D—would increase up to 400%. You can do it during half an hour or a full hour to make the addition process works at maximum level.
Particular benefits of mushroom consumption consist of;
a. Loosing weight
b. Energy source
c. Avoiding damaged bone
d. Increasing teeth intensity
e. Making body healthier and stronger
Spinach contains various types of good essence for a healthy body. One of which is vitamin D, which is about 25 IU in each 100 gram spinach. This would be good information for you particularly who like to eat (green) vegetables in soup, salad and other types of cook. Having this information would likely make you aware of the importance of spinach essence in addition to what you have known before.
Therefore, you could enlist spinach as a must-exist-menu for your salad or even for your meal menus. Variety ways of cooking spinach would also make you happy since you could still satisfy your appetite while fulfilling your body need. For your information, in addition vitamin D, spinach also has vitamin A, K, natural mineral and even fitonurient.
Particular benefits of spinach consumption in addition to its vitamin D essence consist of;
a. Vitamin A for skin care, caring intestine and increasing leucosit production to fight against infection.
b. Vitamin K for developing nerve system and brain function.
Egg is more popular with its protein essence. Whereas, it also contains other good essences, one of which is vitamin D. One thing to notice is that the vitamin D essence can ONLY be found at yellow part of egg. Therefore, if you want to increase vitamin D consumption, you better focus on the yellow part only instead of all parts. An egg contains 25 IU vitamin D or 10% of daily need of vitamin D (100 gram egg has 118 IU vitamin D). It is better then to consume egg for breakfast or other meals and adding consumption of other vitamin D foods to fulfill daily need.
One nice thing about egg is that you could cook it in various ways. Egg also becomes a main ingredient in cooking various foods ranging from cake, snack, meal menus even beverage. If you pay attention to traditional drink consumed for health, you may likely find that egg—and also honey or milk—is the main part of it. Almost every type of cake also uses egg in the cooking process. That is why, actually you could easily consume egg every time you have your meal or snack time.
Particular benefits of egg consumption consist of;
a. Keeping the body fit by covering lack supply of daily need of vitamin and mineral
b. Its protein could help muscle mass development before taking exercise or fitness
You may think that vitamin D foods are only available in high price as it consists of cheese, fishes, milk, wheat product and so forth. This is not totally true because in addition to sun light—which is free—, you can also get vitamin D essence from a very affordable material, which is soy. In comparison to those mentioned materials, soy is far cheaper. It also contains not only vitamin D, but also high amount of protein.
Moreover, you could also find soy easily in various products ranging from regularly cooked soy, fried soy, soy milk, tofu and tempe. The last two foods are Indonesian food originally made from soy. Here, you need to be selective and smart in choosing the product as you do not manufacture it by yourself. Choose any product which still ‘preserve’ natural essence such as those without any synthetic color or preservative. In choosing soy milk, in particular, it is better for you to choose original taste than others.
100 gram soy or its product could fulfill 12% of vitamin D or about 47,0 IU. Therefore, to fulfill your daily need, you have to adjust this number to the amount of soy you consume and mix it with other sources of vitamin D from food or sunlight.
Particular benefits of soy milk consumption consist of;
a. Replacing the function of animal milk in building the bone sytem
b. Lowering LDL or bad cholesterol
It would be fair to say that everyone knows about the health benefit of milk, including its rich essence on calcium and vitamin D. Either it is from beef or sheep, milk is preferable, even for feeding babies. However, you may need to know that the essence of vitamin D and calcium in those types is different. Beef milk has 50%, while sheep milk only has 31%. You could consider many things for choosing the type of milk you are going to consume, ranging from taste, fat, price and others.
If you have health problem avoiding you to consume milk from animal, such as because of lactose, you can consider to consume soy milk. It is also rich of vitamin D, which is about 47,01 UI for each 100 gram. This should be good news for those who like to fulfill vitamin D need but could not consume milk because of medical advice.
Anyway, particular benefits of milk consumption consist of;
a. High calcium for supporting bone and teeth development
b. High protein for building the muscle power to be an energy source
c. Relaxing the mind in frustrating condition
d. Low fat milk could support diet program
Some of you may not even have heard about caviar because it is rarely and hardly found. This food is actually product of fish egg, particularly Beluka or Sturgeon fishes and offered in some luxurious restaurants. From this information, you could imagine that this product costs much so not many people could afford to buy and consume it. However, the price is reasonable as it contains high essence of vitamin D (119 IU for each 100 gram) and other good essences. Those essences range from vitamin A, C, E, omega 3 and zinc.
Particular benefits of caviar consumption consist of;
a. Improving body immune through the combined vitamin essences ranging from vitamin A, B, C and E as well as omega 3
b. Avoiding infection and increasing production of trombosit (through its zinc essence)
Except those who have allergy when eating lobster, everyone would likely love to eat lobster. Lobster offers delicious taste in any variation of cooking style. Lobster is also rich of some good essences, including protein for brain development and care. In addition to protein, lobster has zinc, omega 3, fat, calorie even vitamin D. Not many people know that lobster has high essence of vitamin D, which is about 129 IU for each 85 g. It means that for a daily need, consuming lobster can already fulfill body need for about 32 %.
Unfortunately, the price of lobster is relatively expensive so you may not like to consume it too often, besides consideration about the healthy risk of cholesterol or fat. However, it would still be ok to consume it once or twice a week to assure vitamin D supply fulfillment while enjoying its delicious taste.
Particular benefits of lobster consumption consist of;
a. Its protein, zinc and mineral increase body immune system
b. Its protein helps brain growth of children
Cereal is a product of wheat which children like to consume, especially for breakfast. Mixed with milk and chocolate, cereal becomes children’s favorite breakfast menu as they do not feel too full yet having power to start the day and do activities before lunch time comes. Unfortunately, cereal tends to be related to the children only so that teenagers, adults and elderly people are unwilling to consume it. That turns out as a common misunderstanding because the vitamin D in cereal, or from wheat, is absolutely needed for all ages for bone and teeth care.
In Indonesia, wheat is not a big commodity so Indonesian people tend to find wheat in a packaged product, such as bread or cereal. That is why, they are supposed to be smart in paying attention to the information of ingredient at the package. Make sure to choose a product with high essence of vitamin D so the body could get what it deserves to for the daily need.
People like to think that Sardine is a type of canned fish only. Only a very few of them know for sure that Sardine is actually a type of fish. Because this fish is favorable and easily found, the demand of canned product of this fish is inevitable and it becomes very popular in Indonesian society. The vitamin D essence of Sardine of fish is also huge, numbering about 480 IU of vitamin D in its each 100 gram. This makes people like to consume Sardine fish more and more because they want to satisfy the appetite, get the good nutrition and afford it by relatively reasonable price.
It is also known that Sardine fish offers 13% of daily need of vitamin D, 25% of vitamin B3 daily need and 150% of vitamin B13 daily need. The richness of Sardine fish essence is still complemented by calcium, fosor, selenium, magnesium and even natrium. Simply make sure that you consume Sardine until its bone because it is easily digestible.
Particular benefits of Sardine consumption consist of;
a. Fulfilling daily need of vitamin D for children and adult
b. Helping calcium absorption for bone and teeth care
c. Increasing trombosit production through its vitamin B 12 essence
d. Assuring eye care through its vitamin A
e. Caring the heart, keeping its muscle stable, avoiding heart attack and lowering bad chollestrol through its fat acid and omega 3.
If you like to do culinary adventure and taste various types of fish cooks, you may likely find haring fish in one of your adventure series. This fish is originally from Atlantic Ocean so in Indonesia, it is one of ‘foreign’ or imported fishes. It offers special taste and so soft texture that anyone who consumes it will possibly like it at the first trial. Additionally, it is also rich vitamin D, which is about 215 IU in its 100 gram. This amount of vitamin D essence accords with its price since this fish is still exclusive for those who could afford the expensive cost.
In addition to vitamin D, haring fish also contains the healthy fat, mineral, protein even 270 calories in each 5 ons. Particular benefits of haring fish consumption consist of;
a. Increasing trombosit supply in a body through the ‘cooperation’ between iron and vitamin B
b. Increasing bone growth for children through combination of Vitamin D and calcium
Oyster does not only offer delicious taste and various choices on cooking ways. It also contains high essence of vitamin D, which is 272 IU for its each 85 gram or 68% of vitamin D daily need.
It means that if you could smartly combine the consumption of oyster and other source of vitamin D, you can still fulfill your daily need and keep care of your bone, teeth and skin as well.
Macarel is another type of fish with high essence of vitamin D. Its shape resembles Torpedo in many sides that people likely consider it as one of Torpedo types. This type of fish contains 360 IU of vitamin D in its each 100 gram. Additionally, it also has other vitamins essence ranging from vitamin A, B, C, E and K, and other good nutrition. Those nutrition include iron, magnesium, selenium, fosfor and calcium. It is highly recommended that macarel fish is not consumed by a pregnant woman because the mercury contamination could endanger the baby.
Particular benefits of Macarel fish consumption consist of;
a. Helping in prevent the growth of many types of cancer because of free radical through anti-oxidant co-Enzyme Q-10
b. Optimally increasing body immune system
c. Increasing memory and avoiding Alzheimer through the combination of omega 3 and vitamin D.
Halibut fish has about 600 IU vitamin D in its each 100 gram and this amount is relatively adequate for daily need. This fish has special character in its very big size and very heavy body. A halibut fish could weigh up to 200 kg and available to consume by about 300 people.
That is why, people like to buy a small piece of this fish for daily consumption. In addition to vitamin D, Halibut fish also contains vitamin A in which this combination works very well for eye, bone and teeth care.
Tuna can be found at Indonesian sea or at the border area and this makes this fish does not cost too much. This condition also increases the consumption of Tuna and inspired some manufacturers to produce canned Tuna for meeting the need of Indonesian people. You can choose both fresh Tuna or canned one because the special taste of Tuna would relatively remain and not change too much. Tuna offers delicious taste and soft texture that people like to consume it and prefer it than other types of fish with higher price.
Vitamin D essence is found at Tuna about 880 IU for each 100 gram. Tuna, therefore, could be your alternative choice when you need additional supply of vitamin D but could not afford to buy other types of fish or foods with higher price. Moreover, Tuna does not only contain vitamin D. It also has omega 3 and amino acid protein which could work well in lowering high cholesterol and avoid heart problems.
Particular benefits of Tuna consumption consist of;
a. Lowering high cholesterol level and preventing cardiovascular problems through its omega 3
b. Building damaged cells through its essential amino acid protein essences
c. Improving body immune system
In comparison to other types of fish mentioned above, Salmon fish has the most essence of vitamin D. Having 1400 IU vitamin D in its 100 gram, this fish becomes most wanted for those who need regular supply of vitamin D. Not only vitamin D, Salmon also has high essence of fosfor, calium, natural and mineral. This information is well known so people like to hunt Salmon fish for daily consumption or for occasional celebration. Salmon fish also offers great taste and very soft meat which could satisfy everyone’s appetite and this factor makes it more and more wanted.
If you like to eat Sushi, a Japanese food, you probably find Salmon as the main offer with the expensive price as the the price of this fish is still relatively higher than others. Moreover, Salmon is not an Indonesian native fish that it becomes more and more expensive although the demand is increasing day by day.
Knowing many types of vitamin D foods from fish species would lead you to easily change your meal menus daily. At the first day of a week, you could try one of them and it goes ahead like that. This would avoid your from any boredom while still fulfilling the daily need of vitamin D. You could also adjust your choice with essence of each foods as well as consideration about the price as the price of each is certainly different.
Particular benefits of Salmon consumption consist of;
a. Helping to avoid muscle inflammation, improving teeth and bone care and preventing osteoartritis
b. Increasing brain power particularly for children through its omega 3
c. Avoiding blood freezing as the main cause of heart attack and stroke
Cod fish may sound strange for some people. It lives at the sea and rarely found at traditional or fisherman market. However, you can hunt it at any modern or super market because the benefit or good essence of this fish is already well known. It is the factor on why some manufacturers produce various types of packaged product using cod fish as the basic material. Those products include, but not limited to, canned product, pickle, and heart oil product. Liver of cod fish is also known as having 10.000 IU vitamin C for each 100 gram.
Unfortunately, some people do not like the oil because of the weird taste and stinking smell. They usually choose to consume cod fish capsule as the taste is not that weird and because they know how much the benefit it has. Vitamin C essence in cod fish functions mainly in helping the body absorbing the calcium for bond and teeth care, so any health disturbance on those two parts could minimized even prevented. The breathing system also gets much benefit from the consumption of fish cod, including the prevention of intestine cancer.
Other than vitamin D, fish cod also contains omega 3, vitamin B 12 and vitamin B6 and therefore it has various functions to support healthy body. Some of which are;
a. Enlarging artery and venna vessel
b. Avoiding amnesia
c. Adding memory power
d. Stabilizing heart pressure
e. Minimizing the amount of trigliserida
f. Preventing plaque in blood vessel
g. Making skin healthier
Alfalfa is a type of herbal plant which is originally used for feeding cow, shape and horse cattle. However later, it is known that the plant also has rich essence of vitamin D and could health certain types of disease. This would be a good choice for you who like to heal the disease you suffer while covering daily vitamin D need.
People likely consider that heart of beef functions well in increasing low blood pressure or those who suffer anemia. This common thought is true yet it turns out that the benefit of heart beef is not only in healing anemia, but also in fulfilling vitamin D daily need of a human body. This should be a good news as well for those who like to consume heart beef and want to cover daily need of vitamin D.
Other than those mentioned above, some foods with vitamin D essence are
One more thing to pay attention is that for those who suffer kidney problem, too much consumption of vitamin D foods is strictly prohibited. Therefore, if you have any health problem, it would be better to consult with medical staffs before trying hard to fulfill daily need of various types of good essences required to have a healthy body.