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Strategies for Improving Vitamin D Status: Focus on Fortification

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Nutritional Influences on Bone Health

Abstract

A lack of vitamin D leads to a number of adverse health outcomes, and the most widely accepted is an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. A number of national surveys have shown that 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations, the best indicator of vitamin D status, are below even conservative cutoffs for sufficiency (<50 nmol/L). Strategies are needed to improve vitamin D status. Sunlight exposure is an important contributor to vitamin D status; however, at higher latitudes during the winter and in populations that do not receive adequate sunlight exposure for various reasons, an exogenous source of vitamin D is required. Vitamin D intake from natural food sources is low in most populations. Furthermore, supplementation, although effective and very important as method to combat vitamin D insufficiency, will not work for the entire population. Vitamin D fortification does improve vitamin D intakes and status of populations, but a greater range of food vehicles and/or greater amounts of vitamin D may be necessary to improve vitamin d status.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    AI is used when an RDA cannot be developed due to insufficient data and is usually based on average intake level based on observed or experimental intakes. In the case of infants, the AI is normally set as the amount ­provided by exclusive breastfeeding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, 2205 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Timothy J. Green PhD & Wangyang Li MSc

  2. Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Susan J. Whiting PhD

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  1. Timothy J. Green PhD
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  2. Wangyang Li MSc
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  3. Susan J. Whiting PhD
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Correspondence to Timothy J. Green PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Internal Medicine, Hirslanden Clinic/Bois Cerf, Ave. d'Ouchy 31, Lausanne, 1006, Vaud, Switzerland

    Peter Burckhardt

  2. , Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, 02111, Massachusetts, USA

    Bess Dawson-Hughes

  3. , Nutrition and Science, Purdue University, W. State Street 700, West Lafayette, 47907-2059, Indiana, USA

    Connie M. Weaver

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Green, T.J., Li, W., Whiting, S.J. (2013). Strategies for Improving Vitamin D Status: Focus on Fortification. In: Burckhardt, P., Dawson-Hughes, B., Weaver, C. (eds) Nutritional Influences on Bone Health. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2769-7_25

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