Vitamin D Sources for Vegans and Vegetarians

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for optimal health. Learn the list of Vitamin D Sources for Vegans and Vegetarians.

Admin Admin May 24, 2021 1603 0

Vitamin D is one of the most essential nutrients that our body required to perform various important operations like bone health, as well as in immune, nerve, brain development, heart function, and muscle function. Along with this, it also plays an important role in protecting our body against cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and depression.

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for optimal health. It is the only type of vitamin that is developed by our own human body with the help of sun rays. Our human bodies can actually make and absorb vitamin D from sun exposure. Nearly 5 – 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen is usually enough to help boost vitamin D intake.

This process varies widely depending on the season, time of day, cloud cover, skin color, and sunscreen use, so eating food sources of vitamin D is also important.

Here are some of the best vegan sources of vitamin D.

If you aren’t able to get outdoors in the middle of the day or if you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough vitamin D, include these foods in your diet:

Vegan Vitamin D Food Sources
FOOD	SERVING	VITAMIN D (IU)
Maitake mushrooms **	1 cup, diced	786
Portobello mushrooms **	1 cup, sliced	634
Soy milk, original, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	1 cup	120*
Almond milk, original, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	1 cup	100*
Chanterelle mushrooms, raw**	1 cup	114
Orange juice, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	1 cup	100*
Soy yogurt, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	150 grams	80*
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	¾ – 1 cup	40*

Vegetarian Vitamin D Food Sources
Food	Serving	Vitamin D (IU)
Milk, low-fat, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	1 cup	127
Yogurt, fortiﬁed with vitamin D	6 ounces	80
Egg	1 whole, medium	41
Cheese, Swiss	1 ounce	6

Vitamin D is important for health. Some of its roles in the body include Trusted Source:

helping with the absorption of calcium
maintaining healthy bones
regulating genes and cell growth
preventing rickets and osteoporosis
modulating the immune system

Low vitamin D levels are widespread worldwide. Getting enough vitamin D may also play a role in helping to keep you healthy by protecting against the following conditions and possibly helping to treat them. These conditions can include: