Which Milk Is Highest in Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is extremely important to our overall health, but unfortunately, many of us don’t meet the recommended daily value through our diets. Aside from things like egg yolks, mushrooms, and certain fish (such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and canned tuna), there are actually surprisingly few foods that are naturally good sources of Vitamin D. Including milk.

It might be surprising to learn that milk, which often gets touted as a Vitamin-D-rich beverage, doesn’t actually contain any Vitamin D – at least not naturally. But that’s where fortification comes in. Almost all milk, both dairy and plant-based, is fortified with Vitamin D to provide this essential nutrient; in some countries it’s even mandated by law. 

So out of all the milk choices we now have on the shelf, which one is the best option in terms of this beneficial nutrient? If we’re talking natural Vitamin D content, donkey milk is the clear winner. But for milk that’s more easily accessible online or at your nearest grocery store, if you’re looking for the overall highest amount of Vitamin D per serving then your best bet is to go with fortified sesame milk or fortified barley milk.

Vitamin D content in different types of milk

When it comes to our Vitamin D intake, the daily recommended value is 800 IU (which stands for international units) or 20 mcg (micrograms) per day for most adults. Manufacturers are usually only able to add up to a certain amount of Vitamin D to various products (typically between 100 and 150 IU), but some milk products are fortified more so than others and thus offer a greater source of the nutrient.

As far as unfortified milk, donkey milk is the animal milk that naturally contains the most Vitamin D, with one cup accounting for around 26% of the daily value. But donkey milk is obviously not readily available to most people – so you’re after Vitamin D, look for fortified plant-based milks like barley milk and sesame milk, which tend to be fortified with higher levels of the nutrient. Most brands of both sesame milk and barley milk provide around 25% of the DV per serving, but some – like Golden Wing Barley Milk – add a whopping amount of Vitamin D to their product, at 50% of the daily value.  

You’ll find that most types of cow’s milk, whether whole milk, 2%, 1%, or skim, contain similar amounts of Vitamin D; the majority of fortified products hover somewhere between 12% to 14% of the daily value per 8-ounce serving. Many plant-based milk manufacturers follow suit and add a similar amount of the nutrient to various products like almond milk, oat milk, and coconut milk. So many options on the shelf will ultimately be very comparable when it comes to this specific nutrient.

Here are how several different popular milks stack up in terms of Vitamin D content. Keep in mind that the exact amount of fortified nutrients will vary from brand to brand, so be sure to check the labels on the milk that’s available to you. Wherever possible, the amounts below are pulled from USDA’s FoodData Central to remain consistent, and the %DV is based on the recommended value of 800 IU or 20 mcg.

Type of Milk	Fortified?	% DV Vitamin D
Donkey Milk	No	26%
Sesame Milk	Yes	25%
Barley Milk	Yes	25%
Goat’s Milk	Yes	15.5%
Soy Milk	Yes	15%
Pea Milk	Yes	15%
Almond Milk	Yes	13%
Cashew Milk	Yes	13%
Coconut Milk	Yes	13%
2% Milk	Yes	13.9%
Skim Milk	Yes	13.5%
1% Milk	Yes	13%
Macadamia Milk	Yes	12.6%
Rice Milk	Yes	12.6%
Banana Milk	Yes	12.6%
Oat Milk	Yes	12%
Whole Milk	Yes	12%
Raw Cow’s Milk	No	<1%

Why is milk fortified with Vitamin D?

Why is Vitamin D added to milk in the first place? This nutrient is not only beneficial, but necessary, for several of the body’s functions – it can assist in everything from strengthening our bones and preventing osteoporosis to improving our blood vessel health and reducing the risk of cancer. But most of us simply don’t get enough of it.

Our bodies are able to produce this powerful nutrient when we’re exposed to the sun, which is the main source of Vitamin D for many people. But not everyone lives somewhere where the sun shines sufficiently or regularly enough to give them the amount they actually need. And because food sources of Vitamin D are fairly limited, many people don’t get quite enough from their daily diets either.

While Vitamin D fortification isn’t mandated by law in the US, back in the 1930s it became common practice for manufacturers to add Vitamin D to cow’s milk in an attempt to reduce the then-prevalent existence of rickets, which caused deformities in children and resulted in poor bone health. 

Milk in particular is often fortified with Vitamin D because it naturally contains a high amount of calcium. Since Vitamin D helps our bones absorb calcium to strengthen them, these two nutrients are a good team when consumed together. That’s why, outside of animal and plant-based milks, many other dairy products like yogurt and cheese are also fortified with Vitamin D.