Foods high in Vitamin D
Fat-soluble vitamin essential for calcium absorption and bone health. The skin also synthesises it from sunlight, so dietary intake matters most over winter.
About Vitamin D
Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphate balance, essential for bone health, immune function, and muscle strength. Unlike most vitamins, the body can make its own when skin is exposed to UVB sunlight.
Few foods carry meaningful amounts: oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), egg yolks, and fortified products like margarines and some breakfast cereals. Most UK winters don't provide enough UVB at our latitude to maintain levels from sun exposure alone.
UK PHE guidance: 10 µg/day for adults, especially from October to March. Higher requirements apply for people with darker skin, those who cover up for cultural or medical reasons, the housebound, and pregnant women. Daily supplements are widely recommended in winter.
Top food sources of Vitamin D
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Common questions about Vitamin D
- How much vitamin D do I need?
- UK PHE guidance: 10 µg/day for adults, especially from October to March when UK sunlight is too weak to maintain levels through skin synthesis.
- What foods contain vitamin D?
- Few. Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), egg yolks, and fortified products like margarines and some breakfast cereals.
- Should I take a vitamin D supplement?
- PHE recommends a daily 10 µg supplement for most UK adults in autumn and winter. People with darker skin, those who cover up, and the housebound may benefit year-round.
- Can you have too much vitamin D?
- From sunlight, no. From very high-dose supplementation (above 100 µg/day for prolonged periods), yes, toxicity causes dangerously elevated blood calcium.