Vitamin D Supplement Consumption Is Required to Achieve a Minimal Target 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration of ?75 nmol/L in Older People1,2
J. Nutr. First published January 20, 2010; doi:10.3945/jn.109.115626
Journal of Nutrition, doi:10.3945/jn.109.115626
Vol. 140, No. 3, 551-556, March 2010
© 2010 American Society for Nutrition
Nutrient Requirements and Optimal Nutrition
Roula Baraké 3, Hope Weiler 3, Hélène Payette 4 and Katherine Gray-Donald 3, katherine.gray-donald at mcgill.ca.
3 School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, 21, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Montreal, Québec, Canada H9X 3V9; 4 Research Centre on Aging, Health and Social Services Centre, University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 4C4, Quebec, Canada
Population level data on how older individuals living at high latitudes achieve optimal vitamin D status are not fully explored. Our objective was to examine the intake of vitamin D among healthy older individuals with 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations ?75 nmol/L and to describe current sources of dietary vitamin D.
We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of 404 healthy men and women aged 69 to 83 y randomly selected from the NuAge longitudinal study in Québec, Canada. Dietary intakes were assessed by 6 24-h recalls. We examined the contribution of foods and vitamin/mineral supplements to vitamin D intake.
Serum 25(OH)D was assessed by RIA. We assessed smoking status, season of 25(OH)D measurement, physical activity, and anthropometric and sociodemographic variables.
Vitamin D status was distributed as follows:
- 7% (<37.5 nmol/L),
- 48% (37.5–74.9 nmol/L), and
- 45% (?75 nmol/L).
Vitamin D intake from supplements varied across the 3 vitamin D status groups: 0.5, 4.1, and 8.9 µg/d, respectively (P < 0.0001).
Adding food sources, these total intakes were 4.6, 8.7, and 14.1 µg/d, respectively. In multivariate analysis, vitamin D from foods and supplements and by season was associated with vitamin D status. These healthy, community-dwelling older men and women with 25(OH)D concentrations >75 nmol/L had mean intakes of 14.1 µg/d from food and supplements. Supplement use is an important contributor to achieve a minimal target of 25(OH)D concentration ?75 nmol/L.
Manuscript received 9 September 2009. Initial review completed 18 October 2009. Revision accepted 6 December 2009.
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