You’re probably not getting enough vitamin D. Here’s what Health Canada thinks will help

To give Canadians a boost in vitamin D, Health Canada is now requiring milk and margarine producers to more than double the amount in their products. 

According to the federal health agency, one in five Canadians aren’t getting enough of the so-called “sunshine” vitamin. Experts say that’s mainly because of a lack of sunlight, which our body uses to produce vitamin D.

“The reality is we live in Canada,” said Brenda Hartman, a nutritional sciences professor at Western University in London, Ont. “We don’t make vitamin D from the sun, you know, six to eight months of the year.” 

Canada’s high latitude results in shorter days and less intense sunshine during the winter months, because of the sun’s low angle. According to Statistics Canada, the likelihood that people experience low vitamin D levels more than doubles in the winter. 

That’s concerning for experts, who say vitamin D is essential — it’s known to help the body absorb calcium, which strengthens bones and teeth. Research also suggests vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis.

Other ways to get vitamin D include through diet and supplements, like pills or drops. 

While Health Canada has required milk and other products to have vitamin D added in for decades, it has increased the amount to ensure more people are meeting the recommended daily dose. 

In 2022, under its food fortification strategy, Health Canada created a new regulation that allowed companies to voluntarily more than double the amount of vitamin D in cow’s milk, goat’s milk and nearly double it in margarine. 

As of Dec. 31, 2025, the regulation became mandatory. 

For milk, this means it went from having roughly 2.3 micrograms to five micrograms of vitamin D per cup, whereas for margarine it’s now about 13 micrograms per 50 grams, or about three tablespoons. 

“By using mandatory fortification with very common foods, it becomes a more equitable approach to ensure that the whole population gets the benefit,” said Mary L’Abbé, director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Policy for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention. 

Yogurt, kefir and plant-based beverages are also allowed to include vitamin D, though they aren’t required to have it. As more people switch over to non-dairy drinks, Health Canada said it was important to ensure vitamin D was also included in alternatives.

Depending on your age, Health Canada recommends varying allowances per day. For babies, it’s 10 micrograms, for older kids and adults, it's 15 micrograms, and older adults should have 20 micrograms. 

If a cup of milk now has five micrograms, that would mean having two to four cups of milk, depending on your age, to meet the recommended daily allowance, if it’s your sole source of vitamin D.