Table of Contents
- Overview
- Food Sources
- Side Effects
- Recommendations
- Prevention
- Images
Cholecalciferol; Vitamin D3; Ergocalciferol; Vitamin D2
Food Sources
The body makes vitamin D when the skin is directly exposed to the sun. That is why it is often called the "sunshine" vitamin. Most people meet at least some of their vitamin D needs this way.
Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. As a result, many foods are fortified with vitamin D. Fortified means that vitamins have been added to the food.
Vitamin D is found in the following foods:
- Dairy products
- Cheese
- Butter
- Cream
- Fortified milk (all milk in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D)
- Fatty fish (such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel)
- Oysters
- Fortified breakfast cereals, margarine, and soy milk (check the Nutrition Fact Panel on the food label)
It can be very hard to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone. As a result, some people may need to take a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D found in supplements and fortified foods comes in two different forms:
- D2 (ergocalciferol)
- D3 (cholecalciferol)
Previous Section
Review Date: 02/08/2011
Reviewed By: Alison Evert, MS, RD, CDE, Nutritionist, University of Washington
Medical Center Diabetes Care Center, Seattle, Washington. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
