Better messaging needed to improve vitamin D intake in ethnic minorities, says study – NutraIngredients.com

VitaminD is essential for absorbing calcium and has a direct link to boneand immunehealth. Yet individuals living in the UK, especially those with darker skin types, are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, especially during the winter months when it is not possible to source vitamin D from the sun.

In a paper published in 'Nutrients',researchersfrom the University of Surreyconducted a review ofblood levels ofvitamin D, as well as vitamin Dintake, inmembers of theUKblack community.

TheSurreystudy aimedtomeasurelevels of vitamin Ddeficiencyin the UKAfrican-Caribbean population throughanalysingdatafromthe UKBiobankdata set,whichcontains data on the healthandwell-beingofmorethan502,000individuals.

Dr Andrea Darling,senior author of the workfrom the University of Surrey,said:Our study found thatof the 4,046 African Caribbean individuals from the UK Biobank,over 1out of3 (37%)were vitamin D deficient andin addition to this,over 40%had insufficientlevels for of vitamin D.

This is very concerningbecause wealsofoundthatmore than95% of theblack communitypopulation has an insufficient intake of vitamin D.The high levels of deficiency and insufficiencyrevealed by the studyaretroublingbecause of the association between poorvitamin D intake and poor boneand immunehealth.

The Surreyresearchersfoundthat notconsuming oily fish,such as salmonand tunaand not taking vitamin D supplements were associated withanincreased likelihood of having vitamin D deficiency.

RebeccaVearing, PhD research student from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Surrey, said:Our findings suggest that there is a need for further public health messaging, especially for ethnic minority groups, to promote vitamin D supplementation and intake of food naturally rich in vitamin Dsuch asoily fishandeggs, orfoods such as breakfast cereals which arefortified with vitamin D.

Source:Nutrients

Vearing, R.M.; Hart, K.H.; Charlton, K.; Probst, Y.; Blackbourn, D.J.; Ahmadi, K.R.; Lanham-New, S.A.; Darling, A.L. Vitamin D

"Vitamin D Status of the British African-Caribbean Residents: Analysis of the UK Biobank Cohort"

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114104

Original post:

Better messaging needed to improve vitamin D intake in ethnic minorities, says study - NutraIngredients.com