Previous Post: Vitamin D – Practice Points
Breastfed babies from birth to 1 year of age should be given a daily Vitamin D supplements as the mother herself is likely to be Vitamin D deficient in our settings i.e. High Pollution levels, most hours inside home and moving out well covered or with Sunblock creams.
Formula-fed babies need a vitamin D supplement only if having less than 500ml of infant formula a day, as infant formula is fortified with vitamin D
In India, milk and dairy products are generally not a good source of vitamin D because it is usually not fortified, as it is in some other countries.
Other dietary Sources of Vitamin D include:
- Oily fish – such as Salmon, Sardines, Herring and Mackerel
- Red meat/Liver
- Egg yolks
- Mushrooms
On average, wild-caught salmon packs 988 IU of vitamin D per 100-gram.
However, farmed salmon contains only 250 IU per 100 gm
Cod liver oil contains 448 IU of vitamin D per 5 ml .It is also high in other nutrients, such as vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids.
Eggs from commercially raised hens contain only about 37 IU of vitamin D per yolk. However, eggs from hens raised outside or fed vitamin-D-enriched feed contain much higher levels.
Mushrooms are the only good plant source of vitamin D. Like humans, mushrooms can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to UV. However, mushrooms produce vitamin D2, whereas animals produce vitamin D3. Though vitamin D2 may not be as effective as vitamin D3.
Wild mushrooms are excellent sources of vitamin D2. and some varieties pack up to 2,300 IU per 100-gram. On the other hand, commercially grown mushrooms are often grown in the dark and contain very little D2. However, if treated with ultraviolet (UV light), they can provide 130–450 IU of vitamin D2 per 100 grams.
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