Vitamin D Deficiency Common In United States

A multi-institutional collaborative study published in the Journal of Nutrition (135:2478-2485, 2005) found vitamin D intake inadequate in certain U.S. populations. Researchers estimated intake levels of vitamin D based on age, sex and race/ethnicity. They found vitamin D intakes highest among children and teenagers and lowest among the oldest age categories.

Among children ages 1 through 8, adequate intake levels for vitamin D from food were met or exceeded by 69 percent of Mexican-Americans; 59 percent of non-Hispanic whites; and 48 percent of non-Hispanic blacks. However, only 4 percent of adults over age 51 or women ages 19 through 50 were estimated to consume recommended vitamin D levels from food. Mean dietary intakes of vitamin D from food and supplements were consistently highest among non-Hispanic white populations, although only small proportions of all those over age 51 had intakes above the recommended levels.

The researchers concluded the large discrepancy between vitamin D intake by older individuals from food and supplements and recommended levels warrants intervention, especially for non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American adults.