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50. VITAMIN D & FOOD
Edition: 2 June 2012
Page: 52
Author: Minerva (anonymous)
Article reference: BMJ 2012;344:e3613
Article link: http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3613

After combining data from 16 studies of the effects of vitamin D supplements in food and using a random effects analysis, researchers showed that a person’s mean intake of about 11µg/day (440 IU/day) from fortified foods increased concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D by 19.4 nmol/L. All the studies included adult participants living in the community. The authors stated that safe and effective food based strategies could prevent vitamin D deficiency, with potential benefits for public health (Journal of Nutrition 2012;142:1102-8, doi:10.3945/jn.112.158014)
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74. TARGETS FOR VITAMIN D CONCENTRATION SHOULD CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS

Edition: 12 May 2012
Page: 12
Author: Alison Tonks
Article reference: BMJ 2012;344:e3180 (Ann Intern Med 2012;156:627-34)
Article link: http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3180

How much vitamin D do we need for the best chance of good health and long life? For adults over 65, the answer seems to be enough to maintain a serum concentration of at least 43 nmol/L in winter, 50 nmol/L in spring, 61 nmol/L in summer, and 55 nmol/L in autumn. These estimates emerged from a long running cohort of US adults recruited in the early 1990s. The authors report that adults with lower concentrations than these seasonal thresholds have an increased risk of heart attack, hip fracture, cancer, or death (incidence 7.7 v 6.4 events per 100 person years; adjusted hazard ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.42).

The new figures are broadly in line with the 50 nmol/L threshold for healthy bones set by the Institute of Medicine but lower than the 75 nmol/L set by other professional bodies. Almost two thirds of the 1621 participants had a defining event during the 11 years of follow-up. We don’t know yet (because trials can’t tell us) whether supplements would have prevented any of them.
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