Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in Canada and the United States: importance to health status and efficacy of current food fortification and dietary supplement use

Mona S Calvo; Susan J Whiting

doi:10.1301/nr.2003.marr.107-113

Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in Canada and the United States: importance to health status and efficacy of current food fortification and dietary supplement use

Nutr Rev. 2003 Mar;61(3):107-13. doi: 10.1301/nr.2003.marr.107-113.

Authors

Mona S Calvo¹, Susan J Whiting

Affiliation

¹ Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, HFS-025, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.

PMID: 12723644
DOI: 10.1301/nr.2003.marr.107-113

Abstract

Several recent studies have identified a surprisingly high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in otherwise healthy adults living in Canada and the United States. Most striking are the effects of latitude, season, and race. Also noteworthy is that dietary vitamin D is not reaching the population in greatest need, nor is it very protective against insufficiency. Fluid milk, as the predominant vehicle for vitamin D fortification, is apparently not very effective in staving off vitamin D insufficiency in adults in all populations at all times of the year.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Black People
Canada / epidemiology
Dietary Supplements*
Food, Fortified*
Geography
Health Status
Hispanic or Latino
Humans
Prevalence
Seasons
Treatment Outcome
United States / epidemiology
Vitamin D / administration & dosage*
Vitamin D / blood
Vitamin D Deficiency / epidemiology*
Vitamin D Deficiency / genetics
Vitamin D Deficiency / prevention & control*
White People

Substances

Vitamin D