Vitamin D levels are lower than 20 ng in half of the world

Created October 2017

Global Overview of Vitamin D Status

Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America, Vol 46, Issue 4, Dec 2017, Pages 845–870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecl.2017.07.002

Natasja van Schoor, PhDa, , , Paul Lips, MD, PhDb

Key points

Vitamin D deficiency occurs all over the world, mainly in the Middle East, China, Mongolia, and India.
Risk groups for vitamin D deficiency include older persons, pregnant women, and non-western immigrants.
Prevention of vitamin D deficiency is feasible with moderate sunlight exposure, consumption of fatty fish and vitamin D-fortified foods, and the use of vitamin D supplements.
The required dose in healthy older persons is about 400 to 800 IU per day, the higher dose with low sun exposure or pigmented skin.
Patients with osteoporosis and older institutionalized persons require 800 IU per day.
A vitamin D3 supplement of 400 IU per day can be recommended for adults who do not have sun exposure or have a pigmented skin.
The goal of prevention should be to increase serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to more than 50 nmol/L in all countries all year long.

This study considers 20 nanograms/mL of vitamin D to be adequate It finds that roughly half of the world does not have adequate levels It suggests, based on no data, than 400 or 800 IU is needed No data on < 30 ng nor < 40 ng, and no maps Nice world chart is at Vitamin D levels around the world - DSM review June 2014 1. Pages listed in BOTH of the categories Deficiency, Middle East {category} 1. Pages listed in BOTH of the categories Deficiency, Far From Equator {category} 1. Pages listed in BOTH fo the categories Deficiency, Europe {category} 1. Pages listed in BOTH fo the categories Deficiency, Canada {category} 1. Pages listed in BOTH fo the categories Deficiency, Orient {category} 1. Pages listed in BOTH fo the categories Deficiency, World {category}

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A tiny view of the information in the PDF

Middle East

Europe 1

Scandanavia

China

Asia - not China

Canada

US

South America

Tags: Deficiency World