Only 1 in 20 Australians get more than 400 IU of vitamin D from food

Created February 2023

Evidence of low vitamin D intakes in the Australian population points to a need for data-driven nutrition policy for improving population vitamin D status

https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.13002

Eleanor Dunlop, Julie L. Boorman, Tracy L. Hambridge, Jessica McNeill, Anthony P. James, Mairead Kiely, Caryl A. Nowson ..

Background

Nearly one in four Australian adults is vitamin D deficient (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations [25(OH)D] < 50 nmol L–1) and current vitamin D intakes in the Australian population are unknown. Internationally, vitamin D intakes are commonly below recommendations, although estimates generally rely on food composition data that do not include 25(OH)D. We aimed to estimate usual vitamin D intakes in the Australian population.

Methods

Nationally representative food consumption data were collected for Australians aged ≥ 2 years (n = 12,153) as part of the cross-sectional 2011–2013 Australian Health Survey (AHS). New analytical vitamin D food composition data for vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3, vitamin D2 and 25(OH)D2 were mapped to foods and beverages that were commonly consumed by AHS participants. Usual vitamin D intakes (µg day–1) by sex and age group were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method.

Results

Assuming a 25(OH)D bioactivity factor of 1, mean daily intakes of vitamin D ranged between 1.84 and 3.25 µg day–1. Compared to the estimated average requirement of 10 µg day–1 recommended by the Institute of Medicine, more than 95% of people had inadequate vitamin D intakes. We estimated that no participant exceeded the Institute of Medicine's Upper Level of Intake (63–100 µg day–1, depending on age group).

Conclusions

Usual vitamin D intakes in Australia are low. This evidence, paired with the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Australia, suggests that data-driven nutrition policy is required to safely increase dietary intakes of vitamin D and improve vitamin D status at the population level.

Key points

  • We quantified usual intakes of vitamin D in the Australian population using up-to-date, comprehensive vitamin D composition data and nationally representative food consumption data.

  • Mean usual intakes ranged between 1.8 and 3.2 µg day–1, assuming equal bioactivity of the D vitamers.

  • We estimated that more than 95% of the population had inadequate vitamin D intakes compared to the estimated average requirement (10 µg day–1) recommended by the Institute of Medicine.

  • This new evidence of low vitamin D intakes, together with high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Australia, suggests that data driven nutrition policy is required to safely increase intakes of vitamin D and improve vitamin D status at the population level.

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