Vitamin D
Oily fish supplies by far the most vitamin D in our database: smoked eel at 23.3 µg per 100 grams, mackerel at 16.1 µg and raw salmon at 11 µg. The reference we show is 15 µg per day and comes from the EFSA AI, an adequate intake. Sunlight on the skin is the other major natural source.
The wordings the regulation permits
From Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 we may quote, among others: "vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones", "vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function" and "vitamin D contributes to normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus". That third sentence explains why this vitamin and calcium are always discussed together on this site. Whatever else is claimed about mood, immunity or performance goes beyond the list and therefore beyond us.
Five database sources, with their values
Per 100 grams: smoked eel 23.3 µg, mackerel 16.1 µg, raw salmon 11 µg, oysters 8 µg and margarine 7.5 µg. Sardines follow at 4.8 µg. Outside fish and fortified spreads the list is short, and that is not a shortcoming of our data but a property of food: very few products deliver this vitamin in any meaningful amount. Hence the legal fortification of margarines in the Netherlands.
15 µg a day, and why it says AI
Our source gives 15 µg per day marked EFSA AI: adequate intake. An adequate intake is not the same as an average requirement — it is a value derived when data were too thin to establish a true requirement. We therefore show that label literally rather than polishing it away. Only part of that figure comes from food anyway; the rest the body produces itself under the influence of sunlight.
Why food is rarely the whole story here
At our latitude the sun sits too low from October to March for meaningful synthesis. Skin tone, age, covering clothing and the plain fact that office work happens indoors all play their part. That is why this is the one vitamin for which a general supplement is advised in the Netherlands for certain groups — among them women from fifty, men from seventy and people who are rarely outdoors. That advice comes from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not from us.
How we handle this in a programme
We sell no supplements, name no brands and prescribe no dose; that is work for your GP, who can also measure it. What we do is fix the fish: two servings of oily fish a week is a concrete agreement that touches this vitamin, omega-3 and iodine at once. And we schedule daylight — a walk between two meetings is not wellness advice but the only moment you are outside.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most vitamin D?
Smoked eel leads at 23.3 µg per 100 grams, then mackerel at 16.1 µg and raw salmon at 11 µg.
How much vitamin D per day?
We show 15 µg per day. Our source marks that value EFSA AI, an adequate intake; it is not a label value and not a personal prescription.
Can you get enough vitamin D from food?
Food supplies only part of it. Outside oily fish and fortified spreads the range is small, and the rest depends on sunlight reaching the skin.
Who is advised to supplement?
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises extra vitamin D for certain groups, including women from fifty, men from seventy and people rarely outdoors. Ask your GP what applies to you.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EFSA AI (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Netherlands Nutrition Centre (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.