or You Won't Get Your Vitamin D from Fruits and Vegetables
"Just the facts, ma'am just the facts."
--Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption and the building of strong bones. It also plays major roles in the life cycle of human cells.
--Our skin synthesizes Vitamin D with exposure to UVB rays in sunlight. (A window filters these out, so laying in a sunbeam with your cat in the living room won't work. Don't ask me if I've tried it.)
--We can also get Vitamin D from dietary sources including eggs, fish, and meat, as well as fortified foods and supplements.
--It is not found in plants except:
-Microalgae - fishes' diet of this is thought to be one of the reasons that fish are high in Vitamin D
-Mushrooms (technically not a plant, but a fungi) - especially wild ones that have been exposed to sunlight.
-Yeast - another fungi
-Nightshade family plants (tomato, potato, eggplant, etc.) - it's been found in trace amounts in the leaves, but not in the parts we eat.
So basically, the only way you are going to get Vitamin D from fruits and vegetables is being in the sun while you are growing, picking, or eating them.
Disclaimer: This is a very simplified version of Vitamin D information. For example, there are two kinds of Vitamin D (D2, D3) that are formed and act in different ways. There have been many health claims for Vitamin D that have not panned out in studies, but may in future studies. Vitamin D in flora and fauna is a very complex subject which would be best understood with a good knowledge of organic chemistry and plant processes, neither of which I have. So I tried to stick to generalities to avoid confusion - mostly mine. :)
And one last thing. Ward and I tried to get a little Vitamin D recently, but unfortunately, we didn't beat the rain.
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| We visited High Rock which is on the Appalachian Trail in northern Maryland. Ward had visited there before during a hike, but I hadn't. It has a beautiful overlook and is a popular hang gliding spot, but we saw no one trying to do that in the rain and fog. Now about the graffiti. I'm not sure how it started, but it is definitely covered in it. I am opposed to graffiti, especially on natural features, but if I'm being honest, I found it colorful and pretty. |
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Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324590#getting-enough-vitamin-d
https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/can-vitamin-d3-come-plants/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3651966/#s1title
