What Foods Are Highest in Vitamin D?

Updated July 2026

Vitamin D is unusual among vitamins because your skin can make it from sunlight, yet a huge number of us in the UK still don't get enough. We've updated this guide with the actual figures, the latest NHS guidance, and a couple of corrections to things we got wrong last time round.

What foods are highest in vitamin D?

Oily fish and cod liver oil top the list by some distance, with a handful of fortified foods and specially treated mushrooms making up the rest. Here's roughly how they compare per typical serving:

• Cod liver oil: around 1,350 to 1,500 IU per tablespoon
• Salmon: around 500 to 1,000 IU per 100g, with wild-caught generally higher than farmed
• Mackerel: around 600 IU per 100g
• Herring and sardines: around 300 to 600 IU per 100g
• Mushrooms specifically grown under UV light: around 150 to 400 IU per half-cup (more on this below, since it's not all mushrooms)
• Fortified milk or plant milk: around 100 to 150 IU per cup
• Fortified orange juice: around 100 IU per cup
• Egg yolk: around 40 IU each

The NHS also points to red meat and liver as good sources, though liver isn't recommended if you're pregnant.

Is vitamin D vegan-friendly?

Not always, and this is worth spelling out properly because most articles gloss over it. Look back at the list above and almost everything on it, cod liver oil, oily fish, eggs, and the red meat and liver the NHS mentions, is animal-derived. If you're vegan, that leaves a genuinely short list of food sources: UV-treated mushrooms specifically labelled as such (not ordinary supermarket ones, as covered above), plus fortified plant milks and fortified orange juice.

The supplement side is where it gets more specific. Most vitamin D supplements use vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), and that D3 has traditionally come from lanolin, the oily substance found in sheep's wool, or from fish oil, neither of which is vegan. The vegan-friendly alternative most commonly used instead is vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), made from UV-treated yeast or fungi. More recently, a genuinely vegan source of D3 has become available too: lichen, a slow-growing organism that counts as vegan. Several UK brands, including Vegetology, Together Health and Omvits, now sell lichen-derived vegan D3 for exactly this reason.

If a supplement doesn't state where its D3 comes from, it's most likely animal-derived rather than lichen, so it's worth checking the label or the brand's own FAQ if being vegan matters to you.

Vitamin D2 vs D3: what's the difference?

Both are usable forms of vitamin D, but they're not equally effective. Research comparing the two consistently finds that D3 raises and sustains blood vitamin D levels better than D2, with some meta-analyses putting the difference as high as 87% more effective, particularly when taken as one larger dose rather than spread out daily. Both eventually get converted by your liver and kidneys into the same active form your body actually uses, but D3 binds more effectively to the protein that carries vitamin D around your bloodstream, which appears to be why it keeps levels up for longer.

In practice: if you're not vegan, D3 is generally the better of the two to look for on a label. If you are vegan, lichen-derived D3 gives you that same more effective form without an animal-derived source, and is generally the better pick over D2 where you can find it and it suits your budget. D2 remains a perfectly usable option if it doesn't.

How much vitamin D do you need per day?

The NHS recommends 10 micrograms (400 IU) a day for adults and children over 4. Between roughly October and early March, the sun in the UK isn't strong enough for your skin to make vitamin D at all, so the official advice is that everyone should consider a daily 10 microgram supplement over the autumn and winter months.

Some groups are advised to take that same 10 microgram dose all year round: anyone who's housebound or rarely outdoors, anyone who covers most of their skin for cultural or religious reasons, and people with darker skin, including those of African, Afro-Caribbean or South Asian family background, since more melanin in the skin makes vitamin D synthesis from sunlight less efficient.

Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, the normal absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus, normal blood calcium levels, and the maintenance of normal bones, muscle function and teeth, all authorised claims for the vitamin at an adequate daily intake.

What are the signs of low vitamin D?

The recognised signs include fatigue, general aches, bone pain, and muscle weakness. In children, a severe long-term deficiency can cause rickets (softened, weakened bones), and in adults it's linked to osteomalacia, a similar softening of the bones. If you suspect you're low and these symptoms are persistent, it's worth asking your GP about a blood test rather than self-diagnosing from a symptom list.

It's also worth knowing how common this actually is in the UK: recent UK Biobank data found around half of adults have lower-than-optimal levels, rising to as many as two-thirds during winter and spring. Rates are notably higher again in South Asian and Black communities, so if that applies to you, it's a good reason to pay closer attention to your intake year-round rather than just in winter.

Do fruits and vegetables contain vitamin D?

Barely any, and this is where a lot of articles, including our previous version of this one, get a few details wrong.

Apples and carrots: no vitamin D at all in either. Both are genuinely nutritious for other reasons, just not this one.

Spinach: also contains no vitamin D, despite regularly turning up on "vitamin D foods" lists. What spinach does offer is magnesium, and magnesium is needed as a cofactor for your body to convert vitamin D into its active form. So spinach supports how your body processes vitamin D from other sources, it just isn't a source of the vitamin itself. The same goes for bananas and their magnesium content.

Mushrooms: this one's genuinely more interesting, but the detail matters. Ordinary mushrooms grown in the dark, which is most of what's sold in UK supermarkets, contain very little vitamin D. Mushrooms that have been deliberately exposed to UV light during growing (some supermarkets now sell these specifically labelled "vitamin D mushrooms") can contain meaningfully more, in a similar way to how human skin produces it from sunlight. Check the label if this is what you're after, rather than assuming any punnet of mushrooms will do.

What drink is high in vitamin D?

Fortified drinks are really your only option here, since vitamin D isn't naturally present in drinks otherwise. Fortified cow's milk and fortified plant milks (soya, oat, almond and similar) typically provide around 100 to 150 IU per cup, and fortified orange juice provides around 100 IU per cup. Always check the label, as fortification levels vary by brand and aren't universal across every product on the shelf.

How can you raise your vitamin D levels quickly?

Three routes, usually combined: sunlight, food, and supplements.

For sunlight, most people in the UK can make enough vitamin D through short, casual sun exposure on their arms and legs during the summer months, without needing to deliberately sunbathe or go without sunscreen for extended periods. Skin cancer risk is real, so this isn't a case of "more exposure is always better." If you're outdoors briefly and unprotected for a few minutes at a time during the day, that's generally sufficient for most people with lighter skin tones in a UK summer.

For food, working through the list further up (oily fish, fortified foods, UV-treated mushrooms, eggs) will help but is unlikely to get you to the full recommended amount on its own, since natural food sources of vitamin D are genuinely limited.

For supplements, a standard 10 microgram daily dose is what's generally recommended, and it's a straightforward, measured way to top up your levels without relying on sun exposure or eating your way there.

Quick questions, quick answers

What food is extremely high in vitamin D?
Cod liver oil, by a clear margin, at around 1,350 to 1,500 IU per tablespoon. Oily fish like salmon and mackerel come next.

Who is most at risk of vitamin D deficiency in the UK?
People who are housebound or spend little time outdoors, anyone who covers most of their skin, and people with darker skin tones, particularly those of South Asian or Black African and Caribbean heritage, are all at higher risk and are advised to take a supplement year-round rather than just in winter.

Can you take too much vitamin D?
Yes. The NHS advises against taking more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) a day for adults from supplements, as very high doses over a long period can lead to too much calcium building up in the body. Stick to the dose on the label unless a doctor advises otherwise.

Does sunscreen block vitamin D production?
Yes, to some extent, sunscreen reduces the skin's ability to produce vitamin D from UVB rays. This isn't a reason to skip sunscreen, given the skin cancer risks of unprotected sun exposure, it's more a reason to make sure you're getting vitamin D through food or a supplement alongside sensible sun protection.

Is vitamin D3 vegan?
Not usually. Most vitamin D3 is made from lanolin (sheep's wool) or fish oil. A genuinely vegan version made from lichen is now available from several UK brands, so check the label if this matters to you.

None of this is medical advice. If you're concerned about your vitamin D levels, or have symptoms that concern you, your GP can arrange a simple blood test to check.

Looking to top up your levels through the colder months? Have a look at our immune health range.

Got more questions about vitamins or general wellbeing? Have a browse of the rest of our Health Insiders blog, or send us a message on Instagram.