What foods contain vitamin D and what is vitamin D deficiency?

VITAMIN D is essential for keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy – but according to research, one in five people do not get enough.

From oily fish to egg yolk, here are some of the foods rich in the “sunshine vitamin” you can eat to avoid a vitamin D deficiency.

What foods contain vitamin D?

Vitamin D is vital to help your body absorb calcium as well as strengthening the immune system.

It works with calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones, muscles and teeth.

And according to the British Dietetic Association, even if you have a calcium-rich diet, without enough vitamin D you cannot absorb the calcium into your bones and cells where it is needed.

From late March/early April until the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight – but during the winter months, Brits are unlikely to get enough.

The following vitamin D rich foods will help:

• Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, pilchards, trout, herring, kippers and eel contain reasonable amounts of vitamin D
• Cod liver oil contains a lot of vitamin D, but pregnant women should not take this
• Egg yolk, meat, offal and milk contain small amounts which vary during the seasons
• Margarine, some breakfast cereals, infant formula milk and some yoghurts have added vitamin D

What is vitamin D deficiency and how can I get tested?

Experts at the University of Eastern Finland have found that people who don’t get enough of the vitamin are more likely to suffer recurring head pain.

Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to rickets, heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.

Around one in five adults is thought to be lacking in the “sunshine vitamin”, but 79 per cent ignore government prompts to take a supplement.

The body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight – so those in cooler and less sunny climates, like the UK, have a higher risk.
People with darker skin need more sunlight than those with pale skin to generate enough vitamin D.
Those who spend most of their time indoors or have their skin covered when outdoors are upping the risk.

Also vulnerable are people with long-standing conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis.

Symptoms include:

• Muscle or joint pain and weakness
• Tiredness/fatigue
• Bone pain
• Low mood

Getting tested:
The blood test you need is called a 25(OH)D blood test.
Speak to your doctor if you have symptoms.
You could also order a self-testing kit.

Check out for a £28 at-home testing kit

Can Vitamin D tablets help prevent colds?

Taking vitamin D tablets daily or weekly can protect against colds and flu, research shows.
Those who take the 2p-a-pill “sunshine vitamin” regularly cut their chances of respiratory infection by 12 per cent — the protection level the flu vaccine offers.

There is evidence to suggest those with respiratory problems can lower the risks with the tablets.

A study by Queen Mary University London found those with the biggest deficiencies who took it daily cut their risk by half.

Vitamin D is thought to fend off respiratory infections by boosting antibiotic-like substances in the lungs.

It is produced by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and found in fatty fish, cheese and egg yolk, but most people do not get enough.

But “sun safe” messages about skin cancer have led to more people covering up when outside and most people do not get enough vitamin D in their diet.

The results fit with the observation that colds and flu are most common in winter and spring, when levels of vitamin D are at their lowest.

Respiratory infections lead to 35,000 deaths and 300,000 hospital admissions a year in the UK.

Researchers say the findings strengthen the argument for fortifying foods with vitamin D – such as cereals, orange juice and dairy products.

Study leader Professor Adrian Martineau said 3.25 million fewer people would get at least one acute respiratory infection each year if everyone took a daily or weekly vitamin D supplement.

Prof Adrian Martineau said: “This research has yielded the first definitive evidence that vitamin D really does protect against respiratory infections.

“Fortification provides a steady, low-level intake of vitamin D that has virtually eliminated profound deficiency in several countries.”

How is vitamin D linked to coronavirus?

Some experts have claimed that low levels of vitamin D “are linked to a higher risk of death from coronavirus” and that supplements could reduce the severity of the infection.

One group of researchers looked at data from clinics and hospitals in the UK, US, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, China, France, Germany, Iran and South Korea and found that patients from countries with higher mortality rates had lower levels of vitamin D compared to those in areas that were not as severely affected.

Vadi Backman who led the research, published in  said: “While I think it is important for people to know that vitamin D deficiency might play a role in mortality, we don’t need to push vitamin D on everybody.”

It comes as many of us see less sunshine during the coronavirus lockdown.

In light of current measures, the NHS as given the following advice:

• Consider taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day to keep your bones and muscles healthy.
• This is because you may not be getting enough vitamin D from sunlight if you’re indoors most of the day.
• There have been some news reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus. However, there is no evidence that this is the case.
• Do not buy more vitamin D than you need.