Boost Your Vitamin D Levels: Tips for Autumn and Beyond

With lots of clouds, fog and low temperatures, it is certain: autumn has really started. So it’s also time to pay attention to your vitamin D. Now that the hours of sunshine are decreasing, you are losing an important source of vitamin D, which is produced under the influence of sunlight. A deficiency can have serious consequences, from muscle pain to fatigue and anxiety attacks.

How much vitamin D do you need?

To make it even more difficult: a surplus can also have dire consequences. Think of nausea and vomiting, but also chills and fever. Fortunately, an excess of vitamin D is rare, as you need to consume more than 100 micrograms of vitamin D over a long period of time to develop these complaints. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults is 10 micrograms of vitamin D, for people aged 70 and older this is 20 micrograms.

The sun

The main source of vitamin D is the sun. As soon as you are outside during the day, your body produces this vitamin itself. It doesn’t have to be very sunny for this, it also happens when it is cloudy. The UV rays you need to produce the vitamin come through the clouds.

The Nutrition Center recommends going outside for at least half an hour every day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to get vitamin D. Preferably, of course, with your hands and head uncovered, so that your skin can do its job properly and absorb all those sun rays. This works less well in winter: the sun is often too low to produce the required amount of UV rays.

Know how

Vitamin D is best absorbed by your body if you eat it in combination with fat. Oily fish – think of salmon, mackerel, herring or trout – is an ideal source of vitamin D. These types of fish are high in vitamin D and high in fat, so your body absorbs vitamin D well. Rainbow trout is so rich in vitamin D that by eating 100 grams you are almost at the recommended daily amount of 10 micrograms of vitamin D.

Butter, low-fat margarine and margarine

In the Netherlands, extra vitamin D is added to low-fat margarine and margarine. Vitamin D is naturally present in butter, but to a much lesser extent. Of course you don’t eat butter or margarine in large quantities, but these little bits can always help.

Meat and eggs

Most meats and eggs contain vitamin D, but to a much lesser extent than oily fish. For example, one boiled egg contains 0.9 micrograms of vitamin D, which means that you would have to eat 11 to 12 eggs per day to get your RDA of vitamin D. And that is also not recommended.

Another bonus of getting enough vitamin D: it’s really good for your skin! The expert will explain all the benefits to you.

Bron: Nutrition Center

October 26, 2023

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2023-10-26 13:38:52
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