Nutrient Intake Calculator – Vitamin D

This nutrient intake calculator will help to estimate dietary intake of vitamin D and whether your regular daily diet can meet recommended dietary reference intakes (DRIs).

Functions and importance of vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that supports the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, helping to maintain bone growth as well as the balance of serum calcium level¹
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established the role of vitamin D and contribution to normal bone and tooth development, as well as functioning of the immune system, in children aged 3 years and above and the general population^2-5
Long-term vitamin D deficiency may cause rickets in infants and children, while low serum calcium level may lead to convulsion⁶
Suboptimal vitamin D levels in pregnant women have been associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and gestational diabetes, as well as worse cognition in the child^7-10

Dietary intake of vitamin D

Examples of key food sources containing vitamin D have been listed below¹¹. Please input the approximate number of portions consumed for each item in a week, and a daily average intake will be calculated at the end to compare against DRIs.

It can be difficult to obtain adequate vitamin D from food sources only as only a few foods contain vitamin D naturally, check the additional tips below on how to optimize vitamin D status⁶.

Please input the number of portions consumed in a week

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Food item (Cooked)

Cod liver oil

(1 tablespoon)

Vitamin D content per portion 34.0 mcg

Total:

Salmon

(Palm size / 85 g / 3 oz)

Vitamin D content per portion 14.2 mcg

Total:

Cow’s milk (low fat, vitamin D fortified)

(1 cup / 240 mL)

Vitamin D content per portion 2.9 mcg

Total:

Soy, almond or oat milk (vitamin D fortified)

(1 cup / 240 mL)

Vitamin D content per portion 3.1 mcg

Total:

Sardines (canned and drained)

(2 pieces)

Vitamin D content per portion 1.2 mcg

Total:

Egg (with yolk, scarmbled)

(Large)

Vitamin D content per portion 1.1 mcg

Total:

Tuna (canned and drained)

(Palm size / 85 g / 3 oz)

Vitamin D content per portion 1.0 mcg

Total:

Beef liver

(Palm size / 85 g / 3 oz)

Vitamin D content per portion 1.0 mcg

Total:

Estimated weekly total Vitamin D intake (mcg/week)

Estimated average daily Vitamin D intake (mcg/day)

Note: These calculated values are estimations and for reference only. Vitamin D level may vary according to food sources and cooking methods

Daily RNI for vitamin D from 2013 Chinese DRIs¹⁴

Life stages	Vitamin D (mcg/day)
0 – 12 months	10 (adequate intake, AI)
1 – 64 years (including pregnant and lactating women)	10
≥ 65 years	15

Additional tips to prevent vitamin D deficiency

Some foods such as dairy products and breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D, check the food labels to identify these vitamin D sources⁶
Sun exposure is important as vitamin D is formed when the skin is exposed to sunlight⁶
- Expose the arms, hands and face to sunlight for 5 to 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week is recommended by the Hong Kong Department of Health
- Note a longer exposure may be required in winter, as well as for at-risk people such as those with darker skin, with little sun exposure and chronic diseases
- Parents are also recommended to take babies and children outdoors for a short period daily to increase sun exposure (while the UK National Health Service advises that babies under 6 months should be kept out of direct and strong sunlight¹⁵)
Certain population groups may require vitamin D supplementation
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfed and partially breastfed infants to be supplemented with 10 mcg daily, until the infant is weaned to at least 1 L/day of vitamin D-fortified formula or cow’s milk¹⁶
- The UK National Health Service suggests that the general population, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, should consider supplementing 10 mcg daily during the autumn and winter¹⁷

Other articles that you might be interested in :

[Info Card] Vitamin D in Paediatric Nutrition

References

Student Health Service. Vitamins. Available at: https://www.studenthealth.gov.hk/english/health/health_dn/health_dn_vit.html. Accessed on 15 Jun2021.
EFSA. EFSA J. 2009;7(9):1227.
EFSA. EFSA J. 2014;12(2):3579.
EFSA. EFSA J. 2015;13(5):4096.
EFSA. EFSA J. 2015; doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4182.
Family Health Service. Parent information: Vitamin D. Available at: https://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/health_info/child/30078.html. Accessed on 15Jun2021
Amegah AK et al. PLOS. 2017;12(3):e0173605.
Qin LL et al. Nutrients. 2016;8(5):301.
Amraei M et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018;9:7.
Voltas N et al. Nutrients. 2020;12(10):E3196. doi: 10.3390/nu12103196. 3
U.S. National Institutes of Health. Vitamin D. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/. Accessed on 15Jun2021.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central 2% milk. Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/684918/nutrients. Accessed on 15Jun2021.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Serving size vs portion size is there a difference. Available at: https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/nutrition-facts-and-food-labels/serving-size-vs-portion-size-is-there-a-difference. Accessed on 04May2020.
Chinese Nutrition Society. Chinese dietary reference intakes. 2013.
UK National Health Service. How to get vitamin D from sunlight. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight/. Accessed on 18Jun2021.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2008;122:1142-1152.
UK National Health Service. Vitamin D. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/. Accessed on 18Jun2021.

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Nutrient Intake Calculator – Vitamin D

Additional tips to prevent vitamin D deficiency

References