Inadequate levels of vitamin D may be causing about 37,000 premature deaths in Canada and costing the country billions of dollars, according to a new review.
New research, published March 29, 2010, in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, reports that increasing the mean serum level of Vitamin D in the average Canadian could reduce the death rate by 16% and save the country 6.9% of its health care costs, or about $14.4 billion annually.
“The results of this study strongly suggest that the personal and economic burden of disease in Canada could be significantly reduced if the mean serum 25(OH)D level was increased from its current level of 67 nmol/L to the optimal level of 105nmol/L,” wrote the researchers.
“These results should increase interest by individuals, researchers, organizations, and agencies in Canada in assessing the health benefits of higher vitamin D production and intake and modifying practices and recommendations accordingly,” they added.
The study was funded by the Vitamin D Society (Canada), the UV Foundation (US), the Sunlight Research Forum (The Netherlands), Bio-Tech-Pharmacal (US), Dairy Farmers, Yoplait, and IADSA.
Vitamin D Benefits
Vitamin D deficiency in adults is reported to precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 diabetes.
The science supporting the muscle function of vitamin D, as well as the vitamin’s role in immune health, is sufficiently robust to have merited a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA).
Despite the recent surge in research supporting the wide range of benefits of Vitamin D, many people across the world are still not getting enough vitamin D.
Recommended Daily Intake of Vitamin D
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is conducting a review of the available vitamin D science and is due to deliver its findings this summer. Many expect the IOM to recommend RDIs much above the current levels of 400IU. Oprah has been telling her viewers the RDI should be 2000IU or more.
The IOM may also revise upper safe levels (USLs) with some saying 10,000IU per day reflects the most recent science.
Dr. Hansen says adults should be taking 5000-10,000IU Vitamin D3 daily and they should get their blood tested to make sure they are getting enough to raise their serum 25(OH)Vitamin D level to 100nmol/L.
Source: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200900420
“An estimate of the economic burden and premature deaths due to vitamin D deficiency in Canada”
Authors: W.B. Grant, G.K. Schwalfenberg, S.J. Genuis, S.J. Whiting