5 sure ways to increase vitamin D in your diet

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Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient that is needed by the body. Deficiency from the "sun vitamin" can cause a lot of negative health impacts.

According to WebMD, there are many nutritional benefits to be gained from ingesting the right amount of vitamin D in our daily diet. Vitamin D is essential for bone health and can help reduce the risk of stroke, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases, to name a few.

It is recommended that adults get up to 600 IU/day. But adults age 70 above need to have 800 IU/day since their skin could no longer produce vitamin D efficiently. However, simply basking in the sun is not enough to get the needed daily dose of vitamin D.

"The sun is not strong enough for the body to make vitamin D from October to May, especially for those living north of Atlanta," said Dr. Althea Zanecosky of the American Dietetic Association, in an article by Prevention. We also don't get enough vitamin D because our sunscreen of SPF 15 blocks out the UVB rays which our skin need to make vitamin D.

The good news is, you can get vitamin D from natural food sources. Here are five sure ways to increase vitamin D in your diet:

1.) Mushrooms

According to Everyday Health, eating chanterelle, portobello, shiitake and morel mushrooms can help increase your vitamin D intake. In addition to being delicious, it is also low in calories. These are ingredients that can be perfect for salads, burgers, or on their own.

2.) Fatty fish

Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, eel and tuna are great sources of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, according to Health.

3.) Tofu

Tofu is derived from soy and is easily one of the healthiest foods in the planet. According to PETA, it is a great source of vitamin D. Just make sure to check the tofu brand label if it is fortified with vitamin D.

4.) Eggs

According to Good Housekeeping, two large eggs contain 1/10 of the daily needed dose of vitamin D. Egg is also a versatile ingredient that can be incorporated in any recipe.

5.) Cheese

According to NDTV, cheese in among the top 5 foods that are rich in vitamin D. Ricotta cheese is said to have the most amount of vitamin D among all types of cheeses.