Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Getting enough vitamin D is important for bone health and immune function. Many people don’t get enough vitamin D from sunlight or foods, so consuming egg yolks can help boost your intake. This article will look at how many egg yolks you should eat per day to meet your vitamin D needs. We’ll also discuss the vitamin D content in egg yolks and other benefits they provide. Read on to learn more about maximizing your vitamin D intake with egg yolks.
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
Before determining how many egg yolks you need to eat for vitamin D, it’s helpful to understand the recommended daily intake for this nutrient. Here are the current vitamin D recommendations from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
- 0–12 months: 400 IU (10 mcg)
- 1–13 years: 600 IU (15 mcg)
- 14–18 years: 600 IU (15 mcg)
- 19–70 years: 600 IU (15 mcg)
- 71 years and older: 800 IU (20 mcg)
IU stands for international units. Another common unit used is micrograms (mcg). One IU of vitamin D is equal to 0.025 mcg.
These recommendations are the estimated daily amounts needed to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D in your blood. Older adults need more because your skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight as you age.
Deficiency in vitamin D is very common, with an estimated 1 billion people worldwide having low blood levels. Common risk factors for deficiency include:
- Limited sun exposure
- Living in northern latitudes
- Having darker skin
- Being older
- Being overweight or obese
- Having certain medical conditions like celiac disease
Getting enough vitamin D is crucial for bone health, immune function, cancer prevention, and more.
Vitamin D in Egg Yolks
Whole eggs are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D. Most of an egg’s vitamin D is found in the yolk.
Here is the typical vitamin D content of eggs:
- Egg yolk: 18–39 IU (0.45–1 mcg), varying based on sun exposure of hens
- Egg white: 0 IU
- Whole large egg: 37 IU (0.9 mcg)
As you can see, egg yolks provide all the vitamin D in eggs — the whites don’t have any.
The vitamin D content of eggs can vary substantially, ranging from 18–39 IU per yolk. This variation depends mostly on whether hens are raised indoors or outdoors. Hens that can bask in the sun produce eggs with much higher vitamin D levels.
Here are the typical vitamin D contents of eggs from hens raised in different environments:
- Pasture-raised: 31–40 IU (0.8–1 mcg) per yolk
- Organic: 25–37 IU (0.6–0.9 mcg) per yolk
- Cage-free: 17–28 IU (0.4–0.7 mcg) per yolk
- Conventional: 15–21 IU (0.4–0.5 mcg) per yolk
Pasture-raised hens that eat green plants and forage in the sunlight produce eggs with the highest vitamin D content. Meanwhile, conventionally-raised hens kept indoors have limited sun exposure, resulting in eggs lower in this vitamin.
The takeaway is that pasture-raised eggs provide significantly more vitamin D than typical grocery store eggs.
How Many Egg Yolks Per Day for Vitamin D
Now you know how much vitamin D you need and that egg yolks are a great natural source of this vitamin. But how many egg yolks should you eat per day to meet your needs?
The amount can vary based on the vitamin D content of the eggs consumed.
Here are some estimates on how many standard supermarket egg yolks you would need to eat to meet the daily vitamin D recommendations listed above:
| Age Group | Daily Vitamin D Recommendation (IU) | Number of Typical Supermarket Egg Yolks Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 0–12 months | 400 IU | 19–26 |
| 1–13 years | 600 IU | 29–40 |
| 14–18 years | 600 IU | 29–40 |
| 19–70 years | 600 IU | 29–40 |
| 71+ years | 800 IU | 38–53 |
As you can see from the table, you’d need to eat 19–53 typical supermarket egg yolks to meet the daily vitamin D recommendations. That’s a lot of egg yolks!
Consuming 20–50 eggs yolks per day is unrealistic and unhealthy due to the high amounts of dietary cholesterol.
According to the most recent dietary guidelines, it’s recommended to limit cholesterol intake to 300 mg per day. Just one large egg yolk contains around 185 mg of cholesterol.
So realistically, supermarket eggs alone can’t provide enough vitamin D. Plus, excess cholesterol from that many eggs could negatively impact your health and heart disease risk.
The solution is to choose vitamin D enriched eggs or pasture-raised eggs whenever possible.
Here’s how many pasture-raised egg yolks you would need to eat daily to meet vitamin D recommendations:
| Age Group | Daily Vitamin D Recommendation (IU) | Number of Pasture-Raised Egg Yolks Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 0–12 months | 400 IU | 10–13 |
| 1–13 years | 600 IU | 15–19 |
| 14–18 years | 600 IU | 15–19 |
| 19–70 years | 600 IU | 15–19 |
| 71+ years | 800 IU | 20–25 |
As you can see, pasture-raised eggs provide much more vitamin D, so you would only need 10–25 yolks per day to meet recommendations.
This is a more reasonable amount that can fit into a healthy diet. Consuming up to 25 egg yolks per day only provides around 4,600 mg of dietary cholesterol, well under the recommended limit.
Ideally, choose pasture-raised eggs whenever possible. You’ll get higher amounts of vitamin D and omega-3s in each yolk.
If those aren’t available, look for vitamin D enriched eggs. These have supplemental vitamin D added to bump up the vitamin content.
Benefits of Egg Yolks
Egg yolks are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Here are some of their top health benefits:
- High in vitamins and minerals: Whole egg yolks provide meaningful amounts of vitamin D, A, E, K, B6, B12, folate, selenium, calcium, iron, and zinc.
- Excellent source of choline: One yolk supplies about 147 mg of choline, an essential nutrient for brain, liver, and heart health.
- Contains antioxidants: Egg yolks contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that protect your eyes from damage.
- Boosts brain function: The choline, folate, and vitamins in yolks are important nutrients for brain development and protection against cognitive decline.
- Rich in healthy fats: Egg yolks provide heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Additionally, research shows that eating whole eggs rather than just egg whites may:
- Increase feelings of fullness and keep you satisfied for longer after a meal.
- Prevent heart disease, despite their cholesterol content.
- Protect brain health and prevent cognitive decline.
- Promote healthy fetal development during pregnancy.
- Help build muscle strength, especially when combined with resistance training.
Overall, egg yolks provide important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats. Consume them in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Who Should Limit Egg Yolk Intake
Eating egg yolks is perfectly healthy for most people. However, certain groups may need to limit their intake, including:
- People with heart disease, diabetes or high triglycerides: These conditions can increase your risk for heart disease. Limit intake to 2–4 yolks per week if you have any of these.
- People taking statin drugs: Statins are cholesterol-lowering medications. Consuming too many egg yolks can increase blood cholesterol levels.
- People with an egg allergy: Egg allergies are one of the most common food allergies in children. Avoid eggs if you have an allergy.
Additionally, pregnant women should cook their eggs thoroughly to reduce the risk of foodborne illness and infection.
But for most healthy people, eggs can be part of a nutritious and balanced diet without restriction. Up to one egg per day is considered safe and healthy.
Takeaway
Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D, making eggs an ideal food to help meet your daily needs.
Aim for 15–25 pasture-raised or enriched egg yolks per day to optimize your intake without going overboard on cholesterol.
Additionally, egg yolks provide many important nutrients like choline, antioxidants, and healthy fats. So don’t throw out those nutrient-rich yolks — enjoy them as part of a balanced diet.
With a little strategic egg yolk intake, you can easily meet your daily vitamin D needs and improve your overall nutrition.