Hey guys, let’s cut to the chase – if you’ve spent any time scrolling wellness feeds lately, you’ve heard the drill: vitamin D = sunlight, no sunlight = D deficiency. But here’s the thing – that’s only half the story. As a vitamins supplier, I get dozens of questions a week from folks who can’t soak up rays (think night shift workers, people with skin conditions that make sun exposure risky, or anyone living in a place with 6+ months of gray skies) asking if there are actual natural vitamin D sources beyond the sun. Vitamins
Spoiler alert: yes, there are – and no, I’m not just pushing our supplements here (though I will circle back to why they’re a solid backup later). Let’s get into the science without the stuffy jargon, okay?
First, let’s remember how vitamin D actually works. Most people call it a vitamin, but it’s technically a prohormone – weird, I know. When your skin catches UVB rays (not UVA, that’s for tanning and aging), it makes a compound called cholecalciferol, which your liver and kidneys turn into the active stuff your body needs. But if you can’t rely on that sun step, food is your next stop. And not just any food – vitamin D is pretty rare in nature, so you have to seek out specific ones.
Let’s start with the heavy hitters, the ones you’ve maybe heard of but not really dug into. Fatty fish is the big one – salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, even tuna. Wait, let’s get the numbers straight: a 3-ounce serving of wild-caught salmon has like 1,000 to 1,200 IU of vitamin D. That’s almost the daily recommended amount for most adults (the FDA says 600 IU for people under 70, 800 for over 70, fyi). Farmed salmon is a little lower, like 500 IU, but still way more than other foods. Sardines are insane too – a can of those (the kind with bones, which you eat) has around 270 IU, and they’re cheap, easy to toss on salads or crackers. I’ve got a friend who’s a teacher in Seattle, where winter is just permanent rain, and she swears by sardine snacks – no more of the low-energy slumps she used to get.
Then there’s egg yolks. But hold up – not just any eggs. Pastured eggs, the ones from chickens that roam outside eating bugs and grass, not just corn feed. A single pastured egg yolk has like 40 to 60 IU of vitamin D, vs. a caged egg which might have 10 or less. So if you eat 10 eggs a day, you’d hit the mark, but that’s obviously not practical. Still, they’re a good add – and if you’re already eating eggs for breakfast, the extra is a nice bonus.
Mushrooms! This is the wild card, and it’s super cool because mushrooms are the only plant food that makes vitamin D. Wait, here’s the twist: mushrooms have to get UV light too, just like us. Wild mushrooms growing outside get sunlight and have way more vitamin D than the ones in the grocery store that’re grown in the dark. Studies show that if you expose common white button mushrooms to UV light for a few minutes, their vitamin D content can jump from like 10 IU per cup to 400 IU – that’s a massive difference. I tried this last month – bought a pack of white mushrooms, left them on my windowsill for an hour, sautéed them for dinner, and yeah, I noticed a small change in how hungry I was afterward (no more mid-afternoon munchies, which is a plus).
Now, let’s talk about foods that are fortified – because a lot of the stuff you eat daily has vitamin D added, even if you don’t realize it. Cow’s milk, for example – most commercial milk in the US has 100 IU per 8-ounce glass. Plant milks too, but here’s the catch: not all plant milks are created equal. Some almond milks have as little as 2 IU per glass, while oat milk brands might have 100 or more. Same with cereal, orange juice, even some yogurt – the key is to check the nutrition label for “vitamin D” on the ingredient list. But here’s the thing about fortified foods: the amount is often inconsistent. One glass of OJ might have 80 IU, the next 120 – so it’s hard to rely on alone.
Now, let’s address the big caveat with all these natural sources: how much can you actually get from food alone? Let’s do the math. If you’re a 30-year-old office worker in Chicago, where winter sun is almost non-existent, you’d need to eat 6 3-ounce servings of salmon a day, or 15 pastured eggs, or like 20 UV-exposed mushrooms just to hit the 600 IU mark. That’s a lot of food – no one has time for that, especially when salmon is expensive. That’s where supplements come in, and as a vitamins supplier, I’m not gonna lie – that’s why our vitamin D supplements are a go-to for a lot of people. They’re standardized, so you know exactly how much you’re getting, no guessing, no having to overhaul your diet.
Wait, but let’s not bash food – it’s not either/or, it’s both. Even if you take a supplement, pairing it with a serving of salmon or a glass of fortified milk can help your body absorb it better, because vitamin D is fat-soluble. That means it needs fat to get into your system – so if you eat your salmon with a little avocado, or your mushrooms with olive oil, you’re making way more of the vitamin count. That’s a pro tip I give all my customers.
Also, let’s talk about who really can’t rely on sun or food. People with darker skin, for example – melanin, which gives skin its color, acts like a natural sunscreen, so it takes longer for their skin to make vitamin D. Studies show that Black folks living in northern latitudes might need 2-3 times more sun exposure than light-skinned people, which is a big deal because too much sun increases skin cancer risk. Then there’s people with digestive issues – like Crohn’s or celiac disease – who can’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins properly, so even if you eat tons of fatty fish, your body might not get the vitamin D it needs. And older adults, especially over 65, their skin’s ability to make vitamin D drops by like 75% – so sun, food, and supplements are all non-negotiable for them.
Let’s clear up a common myth too: you can’t get too much vitamin D from sun exposure. Wait, is that true? Yeah, basically. Your skin has a built-in limit – once it’s made enough cholecalciferol, it stops producing more, so you can’t get a toxic dose from being outside. The toxicity only comes from supplements, when you take way more than the recommended amount (like 10,000 IU a day for months, which is way more than most people need). But that’s a whole other conversation – always talk to your doctor before starting a supplement, even a vitamin.
Now, I know some of you are thinking, “Why not just get more sun?” Let’s be real – not everyone can. I had a customer last year who worked nights at a hospital – she left for work when the sun was down, got home when it was dark, so she never saw UV rays. Another customer has eczema, and her doctor told her any sun exposure would flare up her skin. And people living in Alaska, or Canada, or even parts of Europe where the sun’s UVB rays are too weak from November to March – that’s like 6 months of no sun vitamin D. So for those people, food and supplements aren’t just options, they’re necessities.
As someone who’s in the vitamins game, I’ll be honest: a lot of brands will tell you that food is the only “natural” way, and supplements are synthetic, but that’s not the case. Most vitamin D supplements come from lanolin, which is a waxy stuff from sheep’s wool – it’s a natural source, it’s just processed into a form that’s easy for your body to use. So they’re not some weird lab-made chemical, they’re just a concentrated version of what you get from sun or fatty fish.
Wait, let’s also talk about vitamin D2 vs. D3, because that’s another confusing point. D3 is the same stuff your skin makes from sun, and it’s more bioavailable – meaning your body absorbs it better and keeps it longer. That’s why our supplements use D3, not D2, which is the form in fortified foods. So that’s another reason supplements work so well: they’re using the same type your body recognizes.
Now, what’s the bottom line here? Sun is still the most efficient natural source, but it’s not accessible for everyone. You do have real natural options beyond sunlight: fatty fish, pastured egg yolks, UV-exposed mushrooms, and fortified foods. But for most people, especially those who can’t get enough sun, combining food sources with a high-quality vitamin D supplement is the smartest way to make sure you’re getting enough.
If you’re someone who’s been feeling tired, or has low mood swings, or joint pain that you can’t explain – it might be worth checking your vitamin D levels. A simple blood test can tell you where you’re at, and if you need to adjust your intake. If you’re looking to add a reliable supplement to your routine, you can reach out to our team to chat about the right option for your needs – we’ll hook you up with info, no hard sell, just real advice from people who work in the vitamin space every day.
Wait, let’s make sure I didn’t miss anything. Oh, right – I’ve seen so many people think that if they take a multivitamin, they’re covered, but most multivitamins only have 400 IU of D, which is less than the daily recommended for someone over 70. So if you’re 72, a multivitamin might not cut it, and you’d need a separate supplement. That’s a common mistake, so keep that in mind.
Another thing: don’t sleep on mushrooms. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, fatty fish and egg yolks are out, so mushrooms are your best bet. I’ve had a lot of vegan customers tell me that UV-exposed mushrooms are their go-to, and pairing them with a little tahini (which has fat) makes the vitamin D way more absorbable. I even saw a TikTok last month of a vegan blogger who made a mushroom stir-fry with tahini, and she said her energy went up after a week – that’s exactly the kind of real feedback I love.
Amino Acid At the end of the day, vitamin D isn’t a “sun only” deal – there are natural sources, they’re just not as obvious. But when those sources aren’t enough, supplements are a safe, effective way to fill the gap. No need to stress about getting 1,000 IU from food alone every day – that’s why we’re here to help you pick what works for your lifestyle. If you want to chat more about your vitamin D needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team to connect on purchasing.
References
- Holick, M. F. (2011). Vitamin D deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 365(11), 988-996.
- US Department of Agriculture. (2023). FoodData Central: Vitamin D content of common foods.
- National Institutes of Health. (2024). Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals.
- Koyyalamudi, S. R., Jeong, S. C., Song, C. H., et al. (2009). Vitamin D2 content in mushrooms as affected by ultraviolet light exposure. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 57(10), 4285-4289.
- Institute of Medicine. (2011). Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. National Academies Press.
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