The 8 Best Food Sources of Vitamin D to Add to Your Diet

While other vitamins and naturally occur in a food, vitamin D needs sunlight to be synthesized. Ultraviolet rays trigger vitamin D synthesis when it contacts the skin of humans or animals, according to the National Institutes of Health. For this reason, your ability to meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D may depend on your sun exposure and proximity to the sun.

The recommended amount of vitamin D is 600 IU (international units) per day for ages 1 to 70, regardless of your gender or whether you’re pregnant or not. After age 70, experts recommend an increase to 800 IU of vitamin D a day. Unfortunately, most people do not reach this RDA for vitamin D. In a one study, average vitamin D intake for men was just 204 to 288 IU per day; for women, it was 144 to 276 IU per day. These days, you’re far more likely to experience symptoms of vitamin D deficiency like muscle weakness and fatigue, bone fractures, and difficulty thinking.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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