From: Vitamin D status in Africa is worse than in other continents
Lancet Glob Health. 2019 Nov 27. pii: S2214-109X(19)30492-9. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30492-9.
Bouillon R1.  Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Following table includes information from the table in the PDF
Report | Location | <10 or 12 ng | <20 ng |
Arabi et al (2010) 9 | Iran and Jordan | 50%** | 90%** |
Zhang et al (2013) 5 | China | ~ 37% | ~ 72% |
Web 2018 | India | - | 56% |
Cashman et al (2016) 8 | EU countries (adults) | 13% | 40% |
Mogire et al (2019) 6 | African continent | 18% | 34% |
Hilger et al (2014) 2 | Global | 7%* | 37%* |
Herrick et al (2019) 7 | USA | 5% | 18% |
* % deficient globally is probably higher. - Appears that the population size was ignored - see reference #2 below
** Middle East: has dark skin and air conditioning - staying out ot extreme summer heat ==> colds in the sunner
It appears that Asia has far lower average vitamin D levels than Africa ( as well 3.7X more population)
VitaminDWiki
- Some groups in Europe believe that Vitamin D levels as low as 20 ng are OK
- Varous groups around the world believe that vitamin D levels should be much higher:
30 ng, 40 ng or perhaps 50 ng see VitaminDWiki Is 50 ng of vitamin D too high, just right, or not enough
- Deficiency of Vitamin D: category listing has
468 items along with related searches - Extreme Vitamin D deficiency in most low middle income countries which had studies – Jan 2018
- < 10 ng: Mongolia,
- Vitamin D level: 27 ng if low pollution, 12 ng if high pollution (Delhi children) – June 2018
- Vitamin D levels are lower than 20 ng in half of the world – Dec 2017
- Vitamin D deficiency is a major global public health problem – Maps Nov 2013
- Vitamin D is low in Europe – 40 percent have less than 20 ng – ODEN Oct 2018
- Most Chinese have less than 20 ng level of Vitamin D - meta-analysis Aug 2021
Vitamin D Levels continue going down in most places
- Prediction: Vitamin D levels will continue dropping for decades
- Vitamin D levels have been crashing since 1995 (Polish Children, Elite Military, etc)
- Vitamin D levels are dropping rapidly – what you need to do
- There are a great many reasons for the decreasing vitamin D levels - such as
- getting less vitamin D from the sun
- getting less vitamin D from food
- getting less Magnesium needed to get and use Vitamin D
- Vitamin D levels have been crashing
- Click on chart for details
- Vitamin D levels continue to fall in Korea– June 2018
Overview Deficiency of vitamin D has the following
- Vitamin D levels around the world - DSM review June 2014 which has the following
In addition: Some groups are at higher risk of having low vitamin D
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
References (most of which are in VitaminDWiki)
- Bouillon R. Comparative analysis of nutritional guidelines for vitamin D. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2017; 13: 466-79.
- Hilger J, Friedel A, Herr R, et al. A systematic review of vitamin D status in populations worldwide. Br J Nutr 2014; 111: 23-45.
-  Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
- Note: Probably lower global, as the results do not appear to be weighted by population size, thus China got the same weight as Belguim
- Durazo-Arvizu RA, Camacho P, Bovet P, et al. 25-hydroxyvitamin D in African-origin populations at varying latitudes challenges the construct of a physiologic norm. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100: 908-14.
- Lips P, Cashman KD, Lamberg-Allardt C, et al. Current vitamin D status in European and Middle East countries and strategies to prevent vitamin D deficiency: a position statement of the European Calcified Tissue Society. Eur J Endocrinol 2019; 180: 23-54.
-  Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
- <20 ng: in <20% of N Europe,in 30–60% in W, E, S Europe; up to 80% in Middle East
- Zhang W, Stoecklin E, Eggersdorfer M. A glimpse of vitamin D status in Mainland China. Nutrition 2013; 29: 953-57
- Mogire RM, Mutua A, Kimita W, et al. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2019; published online Nov 27. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30457-7
- Herrick KA, Storandt RJ, Afful J, et al. Vitamin D status in the United States, 2011-2014. Am J Clin Nutr 2019; 110: 150-57
- Cashman KD, Dowling KG, Skrabakova Z, et al. Vitamin D deficiency in Europe: pandemic? Am J Clin Nutr 2016; 103: 1033-44.
- Arabi A, El Rassi R, El-Hajj Fuleihan G. Hypovitaminosis D in developing countries: prevalence, risk factors and outcomes. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2010; 6: 550-61.
- Luxwolda MF, Kuipers RS, Kema IP, van der Veer E, Dijck-Brouwer DA, Muskiet FA. Vitamin D status indicators in indigenous populations in East Africa. Eur J Nutr 2013; 52: 1115-25.
- Bouillon R, Marcocci C, Carmeliet G, et al. Skeletal and extraskeletal actions of vitamin D: current evidence and outstanding questions. Endocr Rev 2019; 40: 1109-51.
- Hess AF. Rickets, including osteomalacia and tetany. Philadelphia, PA: Lea & Febiger, 1929.
- Creo AL, Thacher TD, Pettifor JM, Strand MA, Fischer PR. Nutritional rickets around the world: an update. Paediatr Int Child Health 2017; 37: 84-98.
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Vitamin D levels from lowest to highest: Middle East, China. India, S EU. N EU – Dec 201913748 visitors, last modified 26 Jul, 2021, This page is in the following categories (# of items in each category)Attached files
ID Name Uploaded Size Downloads 13630 [1479683X - European Journal of Endocrinology] Current vitamin D status in European and Middle East countries and strategies to prevent vitamin D deficiency_ a position statement of the European Calcified Tissue Society.pdf admin 14 Mar, 2020 1.85 Mb 711 13088 Asia map.jpg admin 04 Dec, 2019 65.74 Kb 2915 13087 Global Vit D.pdf admin 02 Dec, 2019 694.58 Kb 681 13086 Africa is worse.pdf admin 02 Dec, 2019 47.77 Kb 790 - Extreme Vitamin D deficiency in most low middle income countries which had studies – Jan 2018