80 percent of vitamin D from sun rather than from food – Nov 2010

Sunlight and dietary contributions to the seasonal vitamin D status of cohorts of healthy postmenopausal women living at northerly latitudes: a major cause for concern?

Osteoporos Int () (2010)
H M Macdonald, A Mavroeidi, W D Fraser, A L Darling, A J Black, L Aucott, F O'Neill, K Hart, J L Berry, S A Lanham-New and D M Reid
University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK, h.macdonald at abdn.ac.uk.

We assessed sunlight and dietary contributions to vitamin D status in British postmenopausal women. Our true longitudinal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) measurements varied seasonally, being lower in the north compared to the south and lower in Asian women. Sunlight exposure in summer and spring provided 80% total annual intake of vitamin D.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D deficiency is highlighted as a potential problem for countries at high latitude, but there are few true longitudinal, seasonal data to allow regional comparisons. We aimed to directly compare seasonal variation in vitamin D status (25(OH)D) in postmenopausal women at two northerly latitudes and to assess the relative contributions of sunlight exposure and diet.

METHODS: Vitamin D status was assessed in 518 postmenopausal women (age 55-70 years) in a two-centre cohort study with serum collected at fixed three-monthly intervals from summer 2006 for immunoassay measurement of 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone. At 57° N (Aberdeen, Scotland, UK), there were 338 Caucasian women; at 51° N (Surrey, South of England, UK), there were 144 Caucasian women and 35 Asian women. UVB exposure (polysulphone film badges) and dietary vitamin D intakes (food diaries) were also estimated.

RESULTS: Caucasian women had lower 25(OH)D (p?<?0.001) at 57° N compared to 51° N. Median (interquartile range) in nanomoles per litre for summer (June-August) at 57° N was 43.0 (20.9) and at 51° N was 62.5 (26.6) and for winter (December-February) at 57° N was 28.3 (18.9) and at 51° N was 39.9 (24.0). For Asian women at 51° N, median 25(OH)D was 24.0 (15.8) nmol/L in summer and 16.9 (15.9) nmol/L in winter. Median dietary vitamin D intakes were 80-100 IU for Caucasians and 50-65 IU for the Asian women. Sunlight was the main contributor to 25(OH)D with spring and summer providing >80% total annual intake.

CONCLUSIONS: These longitudinal data show significant regional and ethnic differences in UVB exposure and vitamin D status for postmenopausal women at northerly latitudes. The numbers of women who are vitamin D deficient is a major concern and public health problem. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-010-1467-z * PMID: 21085934

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See also Vitamin D Life

• All items in Food Sources of Vitamin D 108 items
• vitamin D content in foods - 2002
• Actual vitamin D intake just 200 IU daily - 2010
• Contributions of Sunlight and Diet to Vitamin D Status - Sept 2012 same author