By Jaelyn Copeland, Intern & UAB Community Health & Human Services Student

Did you know Salmon is packed with Vitamin D?

Vitamin D insufficiency in both infants and adults is now recognized as a global issue. Both children and adults avoid sun exposure or use sun protection because of concerns about skin cancer, putting them at high risk for vitamin D insufficiency. As a result, diet or supplementation are their only sources of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is fortified in milk, some orange juices, and some breads, yogurts, and cheeses in the United States. Vitamin D2 is present in varying levels in irradiated mushrooms. Vitamin D is naturally contained in the flesh of oily fish. Salmon is recommended based on the dietary tables. It has been suggested that dietary sources of vitamin D, rather than sun exposure, should be the primary supply of the vitamin.

Milk is the most common fortified dietary source of vitamin D, though it typically does not contain at least 80% of what is stated on the label. Fish, particularly oily fish like salmon and mackerel, has long been regarded as a good source of vitamin D. The influence of various cooking procedures on the vitamin D content of fish is poorly understood. A study determined the vitamin D content of various fish species, as well as the influence of baking and frying on vitamin D content. Give baked salmon a try!

Source:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements – vitamin d. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-health%20Professional/.