What are the foods rich in vitamin D, and why eat them? Foods rich in vitamin D are particularly important both for our health and, of course, for our metabolism .

In fact, it is estimated that the current diet of Italians, like modern Western diets, is particularly deficient in vitamin D: this is partly due to modern food choices, which are particularly poor in micronutrients, perhaps because they are made from industrial foods, not fresh. and subjected to various forms of food processing that disperses vitamins and mineral salts; a little because of the increase in sedentary lifestyle, which leads people to go out less and therefore to benefit much less from sunlight.

Vitamin D, in fact, is a fat-soluble vitamin , which can be obtained in two ways: through food supplementation or through exposure of the skin to the sun. Some studies have pointed out that a lack of vitamin D, responsible for good bone metabolism, is linked to overweight ( source ), a worsening of metabolism and cardiovascular and bone health. At the same time, other studies have shown that supplementing with vitamin D is effective for weight loss ( source ).

Finally, we know that vitamin D is closely linked to calcium: if we have little calcium, we will also have little vitamin D. At the same time, vitamin D allows us to better absorb other important minerals such as zinc and magnesium ( source ).

How to increase vitamin D? Reducing a sedentary lifestyle and exposing yourself more to sunlight is a first measure, but secondly it is important to take foods rich in vitamin D, both animal and vegetable.
Foods rich in vitamin D of animal origin are often fatty foods: we avoid a diet that is too low in fat in order to lose weight, because this would expose us to a greater risk of vitamin malabsorption.
Among the foods rich in vitamin D we find:milk and dairy products, cheeses, salmon, sardines and herring, tuna, eggs, veal liver, pork, mushrooms, orange juice. At the moment there are foods on the market with added vitamin D and calcium, ideal for example for those who follow a vegan diet: for example vegetable milk (soy or rice) with vitamin D and calcium, whole breakfast cereals with added vitamin D.