“I am thinking about writing a column about vitamin D. What do you know about vitamin D?” I asked my husband.

We were sitting at a window in a restaurant looking out at the darkness of early evening.

I could almost hear his thoughts: “Oh no, I’m going to be in a column.”

“Why don’t you interview these people?” he asked as he looked at the room full of restaurant guests.

“I’d probably be kicked out of the restaurant for disturbing the patrons,” I said.

“Vitamin D supplements take the place of sunlight in the winter,” he noted.

That was a good summary of vitamin D. I turned off my annoying “inner writer” at that point, and we enjoyed our meal.

Vitamin D is made in our bodies by the action of sunlight on our skin. About five or 10 minutes of sunlight two or three times a week on exposed skin, such as our arms or legs, does a good job of nudging our bodies to make vitamin D.  

In the cold winter months, not many people are standing outside exposing any skin to the sun.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that nearly one in 10 people has a severe vitamin D deficiency. Black people have the highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.

Those of us in the northern part of the U.S. do not make enough vitamin D from sun exposure during our cold months.

Vitamin D serves a wide range of functions. It allows our bodies to absorb calcium and maintain bone strength throughout life. Without adequate vitamin D, children may develop rickets with characteristic bowed legs and joint deformities.

Our muscles, heart and immune system need vitamin D for proper functioning. Some studies have shown relationships between too little vitamin D and greater risk for cancer, diabetes, depression and other mental illnesses. Studies are ongoing.

Meeting vitamin D needs is important throughout life. The daily recommendation is 600 International Units for everyone up to 70 years old. People older than 70 need 800 International Units.

Many scientists think that recommendation is too low. You probably want to have a discussion with your provider.

Besides sun’s action on our skin, we get vitamin D from food and from vitamin supplements. However, we have somewhat limited options for foods high in vitamin D. Salmon, vitamin D-fortified milk, some types of ready-to-eat cereal, sardines, eggs, beef liver and tuna are among the best sources.

Cod liver oil is among the best sources with 170% of the Daily Value (the amount needed per day) per tablespoon. Salmon is a more appetizing source of vitamin D with 71% of the daily value in three ounces, while one cup of milk has about 15% of the Daily Value. Some types of ready-to-eat cereal have about 10% of the Daily Value.

Be sure to read Nutrition Facts labels to learn more about your food choices, because vitamin D is now included on nutrition labels.

Here’s a tasty recipe featuring vitamin D-containing eggs. Enjoy the muffins with a large glass of vitamin D-fortified milk or orange juice.

Spinach and Cheese Egg Muffins

6 to 8 strips of pork or turkey bacon, chopped

½ large yellow onion, chopped

1 ½ cups cottage cheese

2 cups raw spinach

12 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray cooking spray in a muffin pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat the eggs. Add the cottage cheese and stir to combine. In a frying pan, cook the onion and bacon over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Drain most of the bacon fat, then add spinach and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes. Add spinach mixture to the egg mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Place the egg mixture into a muffin pan, being careful to not overfill the muffin cups. Place a sheet pan under the muffin pan to avoid dripping in the oven. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until the eggs are set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove the muffins from the pan, use a knife and glide around each muffin until you can gently remove them.

Makes 18 egg muffins. Each egg muffin has 120 calories, 8 grams (g) fat, 8 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber and 200 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Nov. 21, 2024

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-7881, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu