Vitamin deficiency in US military – Vitamin D is the most prevalent and is growing rapidly – June 2021

Clinically-diagnosed vitamin deficiencies and disorders in the entire United States military population, 1997–2015

Nutrition Journal Vol 20, # 55 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-021-00708-2
Joseph J. Knapik, Emily K. Farina, Victor L. Fulgoni III & Harris R. Lieberman

Image
Note: Average deficiency rate over 17 years =53
D deficiency for 2015 = 220
By 2021 the rate is is probably >400

Incidence Rate (cases/100,000 person-yr)
Image

VitaminDWiki

This article uses the now disbanded Institute of Medicine definition of deficiency: < 20 ng
Vitamin D levels have been crashing has the following chart
Drop in Vitamin D levels VDW#10189

Is 50 ng of vitamin D too high, just right, or not enough
    Note: Some US military had 60 ng

Vitamin D titles containing military OR soldiers (29 titles as of June 2021)

Items found: 29
Title Modified
Military and Vitamin D - many studies 17 Jul, 2023
Vitamin deficiency in US military – Vitamin D is the most prevalent and is growing rapidly – June 2021 16 Jun, 2021
Colds substantially reduced by Vitamin D or UV during military training – Jan 2021 24 Jan, 2021
86 percent of US military no longer have enough Vitamin D (30 ng) – Dec 2020 04 Jan, 2021
Vitamin D trials by military – all 4 found benefit – review Sept 2019 08 Nov, 2019
Vitamin D levels have been crashing since 1995 (Polish Children, Elite Military, etc) 09 Sep, 2019
5,000 IU Vitamin D daily resulted in many benefits after 3 months (US soldiers) – RCT March 2019 01 Sep, 2019
85 ng of vitamin D in soldiers deployed to sunny Afghanistan – Jan 2019 04 Jan, 2019
Huge increase in Vitamin D supplementation in the US military (2005-13) – Oct 2016 31 Aug, 2018
No military trainee consumed Vitamin D RDA (most were also low in Magnesium) – July 2018 10 Jul, 2018
Concussion which caused unconsciousness increased risk of Parkinson's by 50 percent (300,000 military) - May 2018 07 May, 2018
Military stationed in US counties with more obesity were more likely to become obese – March 2018 06 Mar, 2018
Large decreases in Vitamin D and Iron during military basic training – March 2017 16 Mar, 2017
Trial starting for Vitamin D with US soldiers – 2,000 and 5,000 IU for 3 months – Nov 2016 03 Nov, 2016
Need for Routine Vitamin D Screening in Military Personnel – Sept 2016 03 Nov, 2016
Increased stress fractures during military training if low vitamin D (now in UK as well as US) – Jan 2016 25 Oct, 2016
Vitamin D prescriptions in US Military increased 5X in 5 years – July 2015 21 Oct, 2016
The Zika Virus Mosquito Is so Dangerous the Military Considered Using It as a Weapon - July 2016 01 Aug, 2016
Traumatic Brain Injury in military - vitamin D - 2014 08 Feb, 2016
Suicide 2X more likely with low vitamin D (in military) – Jan 2013 15 Aug, 2015
High Testosterone is associated with higher vitamin D in soldiers – April 2015 06 Apr, 2015
Omega-3 is important for the soldier – special issue Nov 2014 01 Jan, 2015
Soldiers need more vitamin D before, during, and after service – March 2014 06 Nov, 2014
Hypothesis – Soldiers need more vitamin D before, during, and after service – March 2014 13 Oct, 2014
Increased Bone strength during military training – with just 800 IU of vitamin D and Calcium – RCT April 2014 29 Apr, 2014
Vitamin D might reduce military costs for UC and CD – June 2011 11 Mar, 2014
Military in hot climates and vitamin D deficiency - 2010 11 Mar, 2014
44 percent less Type 1 diabetes if high level of vitamin D – white skinned military – March 2013 13 Apr, 2013
93% of newborns of military in Hawaii had low vitamin D – March 2013 05 Mar, 2013


 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

Background
This study examined incidence rates, temporal trends, and demographic factors associated with vitamin deficiencies/disorders in all United States military personnel from 1997 to 2015 (mean N = 1,382,266/year).

Methods
Employing an ecological study design, the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database and specific International Classification of Diseases codes were used to determine incidence rates for clinically-diagnosed vitamin deficiencies/disorders. Associations with demographic factors were examined.

Results
The overall incidence rate of vitamin deficiencies/disorders was 92.7 cases/100,000 person-years (p-yr). Highest rates were for vitamin D (53.7 cases/100,000 p-yr), other B-complex vitamins (20.2 cases, 100,000 p-yr), vitamin B12 anemia (7.6 cases/100,000 p-yr), deficiencies of “other vitamins” (5.9 cases/100,000 p-yr), and vitamin A (2.5 cases/100,000 p-yr). Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin K deficiencies and hypervitaminoses A and D had < 1 case/100,000 p-yr. Rates for vitamin D, other B-complex, “other vitamin”, and thiamin deficiencies increased over time, while vitamin A and C deficiencies decreased. Women had higher incidence rates for all examined deficiencies/ disorders except niacin and vitamin C. Incidence rates rose with age in 8 of 15 deficiency/disorder categories and blacks had higher incidence rates in 9 of 15 deficiency/disorder categories.

Conclusions
The overall rate of clinically-diagnosed vitamin deficiencies and disorders was low but higher in women and minority subgroups. As for most illnesses, the diagnosed incidence of such disorders may be an underestimate of the actual incidence. These findings can guide clinical decision making with regard to testing for nutritional deficiencies and delivering public health information to at risk populations.

2978 visitors, last modified 16 Jun, 2021,
Printer Friendly Follow this page for updates