Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for the body, as it helps to keep your bones, teeth and muscles healthy, according to the NHS. If you develop a vitamin D deficiency, you may struggle to regulate the amount of calcium or phosphate in the body. A severe lack of the vitamin may even lead to some unwanted complications, including bone deformities, rickets, or osteomalacia. You could lower your risk of a vitamin D deficiency by regularly eating pilchards, it’s been claimed.
Most foods contain very little vitamin D naturally
Pilchards are one of the best sources of vitamin D, revealed medical website Patient.info.
They’re a type of small, oily fish, that could provide up to 14 mcg of vitamin D per 100g, added dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.
Oily fish, in general, is one of the best sources of the sunshine vitamin, along with egg yolks and red meat.
“Vitamin D is a vitamin and, like all vitamins, it is essential for our health and well-being,” said Patient.info.
“Most foods contain very little vitamin D naturally. Foods that naturally contain vitamin D include oily fish [such as sardines, pilchards, herring, trout, tuna, salmon and mackerel], egg yolk, red meat and liver.
“Some foods are fortified with vitamin D [this means they have