Vitamin D can be consumed through food and supplements, but it also can be produced in the body after sunlight exposure. This is why it is also known as the sunshine vitamin, and because of this, it is actually considered to be a pro-hormone.
Primary role of vitamin D is to support development of bones and teeth. Deficiency of this vitamin in children can cause rickets, and in adults it can cause osteoporosis. Vitamin D is important for healthy pregnancy, and it lowers the risk of diabetes and cancer.
Sunlight is the most efficient source of vitamin D, but during the winter, due to lack of sunlight, deficiency of this vitamin is common. That’s when we need to increase intake of this vitamin through food. Some of the good food sources of vitamin D are fish, certain mushrooms, tofu and eggs.