Nutrition Communications

• Home
• What we do
• Carrie in the Media
• Gallery
• Publications
• Contact Carrie

A new study carried out by Spanish scientists has investigated whether weight and fatness in children is related to vitamin D status. Over 100 children aged 9-13yrs were weighed and measured. The children also completed 3-day weighed food records and had a blood test to assess serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. The results showed that heavier children with abdominal obesity (larger waist circumference measurements) were more likely to have low serum vitamin D levels. This confirms similar research in adults which suggests that vitamin D is trapped in adipose tissue making is less available to the body.

 

A second study sought to investigate whether eating plenty of oily fish (naturally rich in vitamin D) could improve vitamin D status. An elderly population (n=713) of men and women living in fishing villages completed food questionnaires and had measurements taken of their blood vitamin D levels. Results showed that 19% of the population had low vitamin D status (<25nmol/l), despite a high fish intake. The authors concluded that alternative ways to improve vitamin D status in the elderly may be needed.

 

Finally, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) held a workshop to discuss the findings of three FSA-funded projects on vitamin D. The first study considered how much dietary vitamin D would be required to keep blood levels at an adequate level. It was found that the winter requirements (over 20 micrograms/day) were considerably higher than summer requirements (around 8.6 micrograms/day). Older people aged >64 years required more dietary vitamin D than people aged 20-40 years. Other studies revealed that 25% of Scottish women and 76% of South East Asian women living in England had a poor vitamin D status in winter. Relatively little sunlight in summer was required to stimulate vitamin D production in the body. The best vitamin D status was seen in high fish consumers, those who took holidays abroad and in people taking cod liver oil.

 

For more information see: Rodriguez-Rodriguez B et al. (2010) European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol 64, pp 461-67; Dalgard C et al. (2010) British Journal of Nutrition [Epub ahead of print]; and Ashwell M et al (2010) British Journal of Nutrition Jun 4th: 1-9. [Epub ahead of print].