4 foods to avoid vitamin D deficiency in winter

Vitamin D helps maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles, but its levels can drop dramatically once summer ends and we enter winter. Here we show you how to make sure you get enough of this vitamin.

In her report published in the Guardian newspaper, the writer Lucy Campal said that most Britons get the amounts of vitamin D they need between April and September, because they are exposed to the sun when they are outside their homes.

But these high levels of vitamin D, provided by the sun's rays, drop dramatically once summer ends. Julia Newton Bishop, professor of dermatology at the University of Leeds, said avoiding vitamin deficiency is far more important than getting high levels.

The Government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommends that all UK residents should take a moderate daily dose of vitamin D, which helps maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles.

"For people with darker skin tones, it's hard to get the same amount of vitamin D from the sun," said Martin Hewson, professor of molecular endocrinology at the University of Birmingham. "They should therefore take supplements on a daily basis throughout the year."

"You can either take vitamin D supplements or multivitamin supplements, and some foods can treat this vitamin deficiency," Hyoson said, but in some cases foods are not enough.

To check if you need vitamin D supplements, consult your doctor.

Here are four foods rich in vitamin D:

1- Mushrooms
The skin of the fungus has the potential to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, just like the skin of humans and animals. When left outside, it will be exposed to sunlight and become rich in vitamin D.

2 - oily fish
Few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D. "Fat-rich fish - like mackerel, Atlantic herring and salmon - are the best choice," said Newton Bishop.

In fact, wild salmon gets vitamin D from its plankton, so salmon in the Atlantic Ocean, for example, is rich in this vitamin, while farmed salmon does not contain large amounts of it.

Of course, the other problem with fish is that they do not appeal to vegetarians, and mushrooms are the only natural source suitable for those to get this type of vitamin.

3. Subsidized food
According to Newton Bishop, vitamin D-fortified foods aren't much available in the UK compared to the US, so you should rely more on naturally rich foods.

However, some breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D, and are also added to some yogurt. Researchers from the University of Birmingham have discovered that a national policy of fortification of certain foods - such as wheat flour - could address vitamin D deficiency.

4- Whale liver oil
"In addition to the other benefits of omega and fatty acids, a tablespoon of whale liver oil provides more vitamin D than the amount recommended by the government on a daily basis. Therefore, this oil is another alternative to vitamin D deficiency supplements."