Top 6 Sources of Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is now getting mainstream attention and for good reason. Once only believed to be associated with bone diseases like osteoporosis and rickets, scientists have now discovered that it is responsible much, much more than that. It is a fat-soluble vitamin, which can be created in your own body by being exposed to ultraviolet light (sunlight) or by ingesting certain foods like eggs or organ meats, amongst others. The great thing about vitamin D3 is that you can get it from multiple sources and it’s cheap! Considering the vast amount of benefits of vitamin D3, it’s a no-brainer that you should be doing what you can to have adequate amounts of this vitamin.

1. Sunlight

Nothing is better than sunlight! Your body produces vitamin D3 sulfate when exposed to sunlight. It’s much more bioavailable, not to mention more potent and potentially has additional benefits that have yet to be discovered. (Oral vitamin D3 is fat soluble and unsulfated) The best time to be out in the sun is approximately between 10am and 2pm. It is during this time that the highest amounts of UVB rays are available, which is what your body needs in order to produce its own vitamin D. Now get off your butt and go get some sun if you’re not outside already!
*Ahem.. After you finish reading this article that is 🙂

2. Wild Caught Fish (Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Sardines, etc)

Certain kinds of fish have high levels of vitamin D3. Half a fillet of wild-caught salmon contains around 1,400iu of vitamin D3, making it an excellent food source. You should aim to get wild caught fish instead of farmed fish. Farmed fish typically contain significantly higher amounts of pcbs and other contaminants versus wild-caught fish^[1], although who knows how much longer that will be the case, seeing how us humans have a knack for destroying our fragile ecosystem.

On top of this, wild-caught fish like salmon have significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than their farmed counterparts.

Here’s a chart^[2] from puresalmon.org that shows the difference in fat levels:

3. Organ Meats

Not only do organ meats contain high levels of vitamin D3, but they’re a nutrition powerhouse. They’re high in omega-3 fats, B complex vitamins, minerals like iron, trace minerals, choline, CoEnzyme CQ10 (excellent energy booster, promotes heart health, and powerful antioxidant), Amino acids, quality protein, Vitamin K2, Vitamin E, and the anti-fatigue factor, aka Vitamin K2. Interestingly enough, your body actually absorbs vitamin D3 more efficiently in the presence of vitamin K2. Eat your heart out!

4. Grass-fed/Free-Range Animal Fats and Meats

Animal fat and meat are an excellent source of vitamin D3. The only drawback could be the price. The nutrient content of grass-fed meats and free-range/pastured chicken eggs are much higher than conventional sources, which have both less nutrients as well as lots of pesticides in them. Aim to get your meat sources from

5. Pastured/Free-Range Egg Yolks

Have you ever visually compared pastured/free-range eggs and conventionally raised eggs? You should check it out! Pastured/free-range eggs have a super dark, orange colored yolk, whereas the conventionally raised eggs are a lighter, yellow color. The dark orange color is due to the higher levels of omega-3 fats vitamin D, and other nutrients. This is due to the fact that pastured/free-range chickens are able to eat their native diet, which consists of things like bugs, worms, fruits, seeds, and sprouts.

A study done by Mother Earth News showed that pastured eggs contained four to six times the amount of vitamin D than conventionally raised chickens. In addition to this, their tests also found that pastured eggs have 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene^[3]. Crazy, huh? One thing I’ve noticed is that pastured eggs keep me full noticeably longer than conventionally raised eggs. Without a doubt, this is due to the higher nutritional content.

6. Raw Milk

Now don’t freak out! I know that raw milk may sound really strange, not to mention the fact that it’s illegal in some states, but believe it or not, raw milk has several properties that promote health, most of which is destroyed once milk goes through the pasteurization process. The natural fat in raw milk contain high levels of vitamin D3, not to mention tastes delicious!

The process of heating milk to kill off potential pathogens (pasteurizing) not only kills off all of the good bacteria (probiotics) naturally found in raw milk, but it also destroys the fragile, heat-sensitive enzymes. Enzymes naturally found in foods assist in their digestion, therefore taking the burden off of your pancreas in creating the required enzymes to digest the food and allowing the food to digest itself.