Vitamin D helps your body use calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth. It may also help protect you against infections and some types of chronic diseases.
Our skin makes vitamin D from the sun. In Canada, we don’t get enough vitamin D from sunlight because of the weather and use of sunscreen for skin safety.
Vitamin D is mostly found in fish and fortified foods such as plain milk and fortified unsweetened soy beverage.
Although liver, fish liver oil and other liver products contain vitamin D, they are also very high in a type of vitamin A that may lead to birth defects. If you are pregnant, avoid liver, fish liver oil and other liver products.
2-70 years = 600 IU (15 mcg)
70+ years = 800 IU (20 mcg)
| Serving Size | International Units (IU) of Vitamin D | % Daily Value (DV) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sockeye salmon, canned | 75 g | 630 | 315 |
| Rainbow trout, baked | 75 g | 570 | 285 |
| Pink salmon, canned | 75 g | 435 | 220 |
| Sockeye or pink salmon, baked | 75 g | 395 | 200 |
| Arctic char, boiled | 75 g | 300 | 150 |
| Atlantic herring, baked | 75 g | 160 | 80 |
| Sardines, canned in tomato sauce | 75 g | 145 | 70 |
| Evaporated milk, canned, undiluted | 125 mL | 105 | 50 |
| Milk – homo, 2%, 1%, skim | 250 mL | 105 | 50 |
| Milk powder | 24 g | 105 | 50 |
| Unsweetened soy beverage, fortified with vitamin D | 250 mL | 85 | 40 |
| Unsweetened almond or rice beverage, fortified with vitamin D | 250 mL | 85 | 40 |
| Atlantic mackerel, baked | 75 g | 80 | 40 |
| Egg yolks, cooked | 2 | 65 | 30 |
| Plain yogurt, fortified with vitamin D | 175 mL | 65 | 30 |
| Anchovies, canned with oil | 75 g | 50 | 25 |