One-Third of Population Worldwide has Low Levels of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential compound that's found in many dietary sources, including fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod liver oil. The sun can help contribute to your daily dose of vitamin D with just as little as 10 minutes exposure. This is thought by health officials to be enough in order to prevent deficiencies.

However, a recent study from the Mannheim Institute of Public Health (MIPH), Medical Faculty Mannheim and Heidelberg University states that based on an analysis of 200 population-based vitamin D studies from 44 countries, more than one-third of populations worldwide are not suffering from low levels of vitamin D.  

"The strength of our study is that we used strict inclusion criteria to filter and compare data, using consistent values for 25(OH)D," Dr. Kristina Hoffman of the Mannheim Institute of Public Health said, via a press release. "Although we found a high degree of variability between reports of vitamin D status at the population level, more than one-third of the studies reviewed reported mean serum 25(OH)D values below 50 nmol/l."

The major biological functions of vitamin D is to help maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus Vitamin D aids via the absorption of calcium that helps to form and maintain strong bones. It is used alone and in combination with calcium to increase the density and decrease the possibility of bone fractures. Previous research suggests that this compound can help prevent against osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer and many autoimmune diseases, as well.

Ye low levels of vitamin D can potentially hazardous to our health, with the possibility of rickets and osteomalacia. For instance, this deficiency in children can result in skeletal deformities. In adults, in can lead to muscular and bone weakness. Individuals particularly prone to this problem are the elderly, obese individuals, exclusively breastfed infants, those with limited sun exposure, those with fat malabsorption syndromes or inflammatory bowel disease.

With all of these factors in mind, the concludes with the following, via a press release.

• "37.3 percent of the studies reviewed reported mean serum 25(OH)D values below 50 nmol/l, values considered inadequate by health authorities worldwide.
• Only a limited number of studies for Latin America were available.
• Vitamin D values were higher in North America than in Europe or the Middle-East.
• Age-related differences were observed for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, but not elsewhere.
• The substantial heterogeneity between the studies within each region precludes drawing conclusions on overall vitamin D status at the population level.
• There is a need for research designs which minimize potential sources of bias and thus strengthen understanding of vitamin D status in key subgroups worldwide."

 "Given the global increase in the number of seniors and the almost fourfold increase in hip fractures due to osteoporosis since 1990, public health officials must address the impact of inadequate vitamin D status on fracture risk and overall health in their ageing populations as well as on children and adolescents," International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) CEO Judy Stenmark notes, via the release. " IOF urges further research as well as public health measures that would help to improve vitamin D status in these high-risk population groups."

More information regarding the study can be found via the British Journal of Nutrition.