At breakfast, eggs have a reputation for being an excellent health ally. Rich in protein, filling and easy to cook, they are also often presented as a good source of vitamin D. But can we really count on two eggs a day to cover our needs?
Not completely, warn several specialists. Because although eggs contribute well to vitamin D intake, they are far from sufficient on their own.
Two eggs ultimately provide relatively little vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the most difficult vitamins to obtain through diet alone. A large part is in fact produced by our skin under the effect of UVB rays from the sun.
According to estimates relayed by the Indian daily The Times of India, a medium-sized egg provides around 40 IU (international units) of vitamin D. In practice, two eggs therefore provide around 80 to 100 IU.
The yolk concentrates almost all of this vitamin. Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates that an egg yolk contains around 20 IU, while the white provides very little.
The problem ? Daily requirements are much higher.
What are the daily vitamin D requirements?
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health:
- Adults up to 70 years old need approximately 600 IU per day;
- After 70 years, the requirements even rise to around 800 IU.
With only 80 to 100 IU provided by two eggs, we barely cover 10 to 15% of the daily needs.
In other words, eating eggs for breakfast is useful… but it is generally not enough to avoid a deficiency, especially in people with little exposure to the sun.
Why do some people lack vitamin D more easily?
Our body naturally produces vitamin D thanks to UVB. But several factors can limit this production:
- A lack of exposure to the sun;
- Life mainly indoors;
- Winter;
- Dark skin;
- Overweight;
- Advanced age.
In these people, needs may be more difficult to meet through food alone.
Enriched eggs can be much richer
Not all eggs contain the same amount of vitamin D. Some sectors produce enriched eggs, in particular by modifying the chickens’ diet or increasing their exposure to UVB.
According to Australian Eggstwo enriched eggs can sometimes cover a large part of the daily needs.
But these products remain specific and the figures given also depend on the nutritional recommendations specific to each country.
How to naturally increase your vitamin D intake
To maintain good vitamin D levels, specialists generally recommend combining several sources:
- Reasonable exposure to the sun;
- A varied diet;
- Sometimes supplementation, if necessary.
Among the foods richest in vitamin D, we find:
- Oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel);
- The liver;
- Certain fungi exposed to UV;
- Enriched products such as certain milks or vegetable drinks.
Concerning the sun, several recommendations mention a few minutes of exposure of the arms and face several times a week, outside the most dangerous hours.
Finally, in the event of persistent fatigue, bone pain or doubt about a deficiency, a blood test and medical advice remain the best options before taking supplements.