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Food fortification and biofortification as potential strategies for prevention of vitamin D deficiency
Author(s) -
Guo J.,
Lovegrove J. A.,
Givens D. I.
Publication year - 2019
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/nbu.12363
Subject(s) - vitamin d and neurology , biofortification , cholecalciferol , vitamin d deficiency , vitamin , fortification , medicine , ergocalciferol , food fortification , population , fortified food , dietary reference intake , food science , micronutrient , endocrinology , environmental health , biology , nutrient , ecology , pathology
Hypovitaminosis D (vitamin D deficiency) is widespread throughout the world. The cutaneous production of vitamin D through sunlight can be limited by several factors ( e.g . skin pigmentation, sunscreen usage and, increasingly, indoor lifestyle). Thus, diet has become an important strategy to increase vitamin D intake and status {blood 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25( OH )D]}. However, there are a limited number of foods that naturally contain vitamin D, and concentrations can vary significantly between and within species. The need for vitamin D‐fortified foods (including via direct fortification and biofortification) to support the adequacy of vitamin D status is a corollary of several limitations to synthesise vitamin D from sunlight. Ergocalciferol (vitamin D 2 ) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D 3 ) can be found in some mushrooms and animal‐derived foods, respectively. Evidence has shown vitamin D 3 is more effective than vitamin D 2 at raising 25( OH )D blood concentrations. The vitamin D metabolite, 25( OH )D 3, is present in animal‐derived foods ( e.g . meat, eggs and fish), and several intervention trials have shown 25( OH )D 3 to be more effective at raising blood 25( OH )D concentrations than vitamin D 3 . In addition, 25( OH )D 3 supplements may prove to be preferable to vitamin D 3 for patients with certain clinical conditions. However, there is limited evidence on the effects of 25( OH )D 3 ‐fortified foods on human vitamin D status and health, both in the general population and patients with certain conditions, and long‐term randomised controlled trials are needed in this area.