6 out of ten of UK residents remains Vitamin d insufficient

[Neon Beach]

ORIGINAL RESERACH COMMUNICATION

Hypovitaminosis D in British adults at age 45 y: nationwide cohort study of dietary and lifestyle predictors1,2,3
Elina Hyppönen and Chris Power
1 From the Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom


ABSTRACT

Background: Increased awareness of the importance of vitamin D to health has led to concerns about the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in many parts of the world.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the white British population and to evaluate the influence of key dietary and lifestyle risk factors.

Design: We measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 7437 whites from the 1958 British birth cohort when they were 45 y old.

Results: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was highest during the winter and spring, when 25(OH)D concentrations <25, <40, and <75 nmol/L were found in 15.5%, 46.6%, and 87.1% of participants, respectively; the proportions were 3.2%, 15.4%, and 60.9%, respectively, during the summer and fall. Men had higher 25(OH)D concentrations, on average, than did women during the summer and fall but not during the winter and spring (P = 0.006, likelihood ratio test for interaction). 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly higher in participants who used vitamin D supplements or oily fish than in those who did not (P < 0.0001 for both) but were not significantly higher in participants who consumed vitamin D–fortified margarine than in those who did not (P = 0.10). 25(OH)D concentrations <40 nmol/L were twice as likely in the obese as in the nonobese and in Scottish participants as in those from other parts of Great Britain (ie, England and Wales) (P < 0.0001 for both).

Conclusion: Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the general population was alarmingly high during the winter and spring, which warrants action at a population level rather than at a risk group level.


Key Words: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D • vitamin D status • vitamin D supplements • vitamin D deficiency • seasonality • fortified food • population studies • Great Britain




Related articles in AJCN:


The urgent need to recommend an intake of vitamin D that is effective
Reinhold Vieth, Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Barbara J Boucher, Bess Dawson-Hughes, Cedric F Garland, Robert P Heaney, Michael F Holick, Bruce W Hollis, Christel Lamberg-Allardt, John J McGrath, Anthony W Norman, Robert Scragg, Susan J Whiting, Walter C Willett, and Armin Zittermann
AJCN 2007 85: 649-650. [Full Text]

Source: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/3/860

[TED HUTCHINSON]

Readers of that paper do have to be aware that Vitamin D3 research is moving on daily and the level used in this paper <75 nmol/L to indicate adequate status is really too low for comfort.

Circulating Vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Humans: shows why we should be considering 100nmol/L as the level to remain above at all times.

If you really want to be with those enjoying the lowest risk of breast, colon, lung, prostate cancer then you would do well to raise your status to around 125nmol/L.

We must also remember that this research was only looking at UK White adults. The coloured population is roughly 10% and they will almost certainly ALL have lower Vitamin D status (because the darker your skin the harder it is to make vitamin d) so the UK Epidemic of Vitamin D insufficiency is far worse than this paper indicates.

[TED HUTCHINSON]

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurement in a large population survey with statistical harmonization of assay variation to an international standard

The same researcher has published a new paper showing much the same. The purpose of this paper (full text online) is to compare different test results but the graphs at the end are worth looking at. They show the sorry state of UK vitamin D status. It doesn't matter if you take the high scores or the lower test scores they all show the average UK citizen NEVER at any point in the year has sufficient vitamin d to optimise their uptake of calcium.

125may well be optimal for physical athletic performance 137.5 nmol/L may well be associated with the lowest Vitamin D incidence but not in the UK because there simply aren't sufficient folk with that level of vitamin d to count.

I've just had my Vit d status checked and I'm 147nmol/L
But I take Vit D3 5000iu/daily AND I spend 20minutes naked in the sun EVERY time it's possible. Apart from those who are prepared to take EFFECTIVE strength Vitamin D3 the only other UK adults who have that level of Vitamin D will be people who use high uvb sunbeds 3 times a week.

[Bill]

So, for us non Europeans, that's about 50 to 60 ng/ml, right?