Eating Cocoa Could Boost Your Vitamin D Intake; Try These 5 Foods Too

If you love chocolates of other products containing cocoa, it might turn out to be beneficial for you. According to a study published in the journal Food Chemistry, foods rich in cocoa, like cocoa butter, cocoa beans, cocoa powder, dark chocolates, may improve your vitamin D intake. Vitamin D comes in two types- vitamin D2 and D3. While, vitamin D3 is produced in the human skin through exposure to the sun, vitamin D2 is ideally consumed through certain foods like chicken, eggs, or fish. The findings in the study revealed that products containing cocoa are indeed a source of vitamin D2. However, the amount varied greatly from food to food.

As per the researchers, brittle bones and an increased risk of respiratory diseases could be the result of a vitamin D deficiency and cocoa butter and dark chocolate have the highest amount of vitamin D2. For the study, the team of researchers investigated cocoa and cocoa products to ascertain whether or not it contained the important source of vitamin D.

(Also Read: Top 6 Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate)

Cocoa beans were dried after fermentation, placed on mats and exposed to the sun for one to two weeks. While dark chocolate has relatively high vitamin D2 content, very little amount of vitamin D was found in white chocolates. The researchers claimed that this surprising as the cocoa content in white chocolate is significantly lower. It confirms their assumption that cocoa is the source of vitamin D.

However, researchers do not recommend consuming large quantities of chocolates. They said that you would have to eat enormous amounts of chocolates to cover your vitamin D2 requirements. That would be extremely unhealthy because of the high sugar and fat content.

While eating too many dark chocolates can be harmful for your health, we tell you some more vitamin D rich sources that may help boost the sunshine vitamin in your body.

1. Fish

While all kinds of fish are high in vitamin D content, typically oily and fatty fish contain more of it than less oily ones. Choose salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna or eel to boost your vitamin D levels.

2. Mushrooms

Include more mushrooms in your diet that they are stimulators of vitamin D levels. Cook them, bake or pan-fry them and turn these tiny delights into delicious treat and see how effectively your vitamin D levels go up. Did you know, mushrooms could naturally produce this vitamin when exposed to sunlight?

3. Dairy products

Milk and its products are fortified with vitamin D. In fact, cheese is categorised as one of the highest sources of vitamin D. So, go ahead and add that extra layer of cheese slice to up your vitamin D levels. This doesn't mean you get more reasons to enjoy burgers and pizzas; it means you could have a cheese slice on your bread in your breakfast.

4. Egg

Humble egg is not just versatile, but also super-healthy. It provides vitamin D that comes from yolk. However, we suggest you should eat whole eggs to get all the goodness of the eggs.

5. Soy milk

Soy milk is a plant-based milk that contains great amount of protein, vitamin D, vitamin C and iron, all of which are known to promote healthy body. If you are a vegan, here's how you can get your set of vitamin D.

Do check for any allergies before switching to these foods and make sure you consult a doctor to avoid complications.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.