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An update on UK Vitamin D intakes and status, and issues for food fortification and supplementation
Author(s) -
O'Connor A.,
Benelam B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
nutrition bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-3010
pISSN - 1471-9827
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-3010.2011.01918.x
Subject(s) - vitamin d and neurology , rickets , osteomalacia , vitamin , medicine , fortification , food fortification , vitamin d deficiency , environmental health , population , physiology , endocrinology , food science , biology
Summary Vitamin D is unique among the essential nutrients in that it can be made in the body via exposure of the skin to sunlight. There are few rich sources of vitamin D in the diet. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy bones and deficiency of vitamin D causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In the UK, there is evidence that low vitamin D status is prevalent in the population and older adults living in institutions are particularly at risk. There are two forms of vitamin D that can be added to foods and drinks: vitamin D 2 and D 3 . They have somewhat different structures, and there are some differences in the way they are metabolised by the body. Overall, the evidence for the relative effectiveness of vitamin D 2 vs. D 3 is mixed, and more studies are needed to provide a clearer picture. However, there does seem to be some indication that D 3 is more effective than D 2 in raising vitamin D status.