An adult body has 206 bones. (Their count, at birth, is 270. But-as the body grows-these bones fuse, and the total count is brought down to 206.) Now, these 206 bones work really hard to help us in performing our everyday activities easily. So, it becomes our duty to take adequate care of these bones and nourish them.

And when bone nourishment comes into question, Vitamin D is the right answer. Vitamin D is an integral nutrient for nourishing bones. And recent studies suggest that this nutrient has other benefits as well such as fighting depression and protecting the body against cold. Now, one major question arises in everyone’s mind, “How to get Vitamin D?” This write-up will answer this question and shed light on the best sources of the nutrient.

Good morning, sunshine!

Start every morning with a healthy dose of sunlight. Sunlight helps a body to make Vitamin D whenever it is exposed to sun for a certain time period. However, people avoid catching sunrays due to the risk of skin cancer. It is true that a lot of sunlight can make a body predisposed to the life-threatening disease. However, getting a little bit of sunlight without applying a sunblock can do the trick. It is recommended that close to 20 minutes of exposure to sun is helpful for a body to produce adequate levels of vitamin D.

Say yes to fatty fish.

Fatty fish make a great source of the nutrient. You can opt for trout, tuna, eel, mackerel, and salmon. A sockeye salmon fillet-weighing three ounces-has nearly 450 International Units (IUs) of the nutrient. Apart from Vitamin D, fatty fish offer consumers a generous intake of omega-3 fatty acids as well.

If not fresh fish, go for canned tuna or sardines.

Fresh fish boost Vitamin D, but they are not the only way to do so. You can also opt for canned tuna or sardines to get your regular intake of the nutrient. Canned tuna and canned sardines offer a healthy intake of the nutrient, and they are less expensive when compared with fresh fish. Plus, one other benefit of consuming canned fish is that they have a longer shelf life.

You should drink fortified milk, too.

By and large, cow milk in the United States is fortified-i.e., it has Vitamin D. However, cheese and ice cream do not come fortified with this nutrient. In general, a serving of 6-ounce yogurt has 80 UIs; likewise, 8 ounce of milk comes packed with 100 IUs.

These four sources of the nutrient should never be ignored. You should consume the nutrient regularly; this will let your body to have a healthy count of Vitamin D that can, further, help your bones to remain strengthened while you age. Apart from comestibles, you can also rely on Vitamin D supplements (as prescribed by your doctor) for keeping your bones healthy and strong.