Research has found Vitamin D to provide numerous health benefits, from promoting bone health to lowering the risk of certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. The problem is there are not too many sources that could provide this vitamin, so essential for our health. However, researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine have found orange juice fortified with the vitamin D to be another source.

Vitamin D is one of four fat soluble vitamins i.e. it is dissolved and stored in fat before being released into the blood, A, E and K being the other three. Oily fish like salmon and tuna, mushroom, eggs are known to contain Vitamin D, and is also added to products like cereal and milk. When out skin is exposed to the rays of the sun, the body produces Vitamin D, however, a number of factors determine the time required by each individual, and it is converted into an active form in the body.

Initially, researchers did not think orange juice would be a good way of giving it to people, as it does not have fat. While, a simple addition of a vitamin to a food does not guarantee absorption in the body, and since Vitamin D dissolves in fat but not in water, researchers were concerned only fatty foods like milk could be used.

So, for their study the researchers recruited about 100 adults and divided them into four groups. The groups were given juice fortified with 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D, orange juice with no vitamin D, a capsule with vitamin D or a placebo.

They were monitored for vitamin D levels over 11 weeks, with those taking the fortified juice or the capsule found to have significantly increased their levels over the duration of the study.

Around 85% of the study participants had extremely low levels of vitamin D, way below the minimum necessary for good health at the start of the study, however, the results indicated orange juice was able to raise levels, just as good as supplements. While, milk has been fortified with vitamin D since the 1930s, more people drink a glass of juice in the morning than they drink milk.

These findings have prompted Minute Maid and Tropicana to begin adding Vitamin D along with calcium to some of their products.

Adults require 2000 IU of vitamin D a day, while children need 1000 IU.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.