WHAT IS A PRACTICAL DAILY PLAN TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY VITAMIN D LEVELS SAFELY?

Below is a practical daily plan to maintain healthy vitamin D levels safely. This combines sunlight, food, and supplements depending on lifestyle and risk factors.

🌞 1. Sunlight (Natural Source)

• Best time: Mid-morning or late afternoon (10am–3pm, when UVB is present).
• Duration:
• Light skin: 10–15 minutes, 2–3 times per week (arms & legs exposed).
• Medium to dark skin: 20–40 minutes, 3–4 times per week.
• Avoid sunburn — more time doesn’t mean more vitamin D (skin self-regulates).

🍽 2. Food Sources (Daily Diet)

Try to include at least 1–2 vitamin D–rich foods each day:

Food	Vitamin D (approx.)
Salmon (100g)	500–600 IU
Mackerel/Sardines (100g)	250–300 IU
Cod liver oil (1 tsp)	400–450 IU
Egg yolk (1 large)	40 IU
Fortified milk/plant milk (1 cup)	100 IU
Fortified cereal (1 serving)	40–100 IU
Mushrooms (UV-exposed, 100g)	400 IU (vitamin D2)

💊 3. Supplements (If Needed)

• General adults (19–70 yrs): 600–1,000 IU/day.
• Older adults (71+ yrs): 800–2,000 IU/day.
• High-risk groups (dark skin, obesity, chronic illness, little sun): may need 2,000 IU/day, but always check with a doctor.

👉 Choose Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) — better absorbed than D2.
👉 Take with a meal containing fat for best absorption.

🧾 Sample Daily Plan

• Morning: 15 minutes of sun exposure (walk or outdoor activity).
• Breakfast: Fortified cereal + milk/soy milk (100–200 IU).
• Lunch: Salmon or mackerel (300–600 IU).
• Snack: Hard-boiled egg (40 IU).
• Dinner: Mushrooms or fortified food (100–400 IU).
• Supplement (if needed): 600–1,000 IU Vitamin D3 capsule.

✅ This way, you balance natural sun + diet + small supplement, avoiding deficiency and toxicity.