PURPOSE Calcium and vitamin D intakes from food and supplements were estimated in Canadian men and women. METHODS Calcium intakes from both diet and supplements and vitamin D intakes from fortified milk and supplements were estimated using cross-sectional data from 9423 randomly selected subjects aged 25 years or older, who were participating in a longitudinal study on osteoporosis. Subjects ...

BACKGROUND Vitamin D has been added to calcium-fortified orange juice. It is unknown whether vitamin D is as bioavailable from orange juice as it is from supplements. OBJECTIVES The objective was to compare the bioavailability of vitamin D(2) and vitamin D(3) from orange juice with that from vitamin D(2) and vitamin D(3) supplements. A secondary aim was to determine which form of vitamin D is...

The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in older people is malabsorption of food-bound vitamin B12. Thus, it is suggested that the recommended daily allowance of 2.4 microg/d be met primarily with crystalline vitamin B12, which is believed to be well absorbed in individuals who have food-bound malabsorption. There is concern that high intakes of folic acid from fortified food and dietar...

Vitamin D intakes of infants aged 6 and 18 months from the Asian community in Southhall, Middlesex, were studied to assess the effectiveness of food fortification as a means of preventing vitamin D deficiency. Infants aged 6 months generally had similar diets to white children of the same age and had reasonable vitamin D intakes owing to consumption of fortified dried milks and cereals, reinfor...

PURPOSE To show how safe maximum levels (SML) of vitamins and minerals in fortified foods and supplements may be estimated in population subgroups. METHODS SML were estimated for adults and 7- to 10-year-old children for six nutrients (retinol, vitamins B6, D and E, folic acid, iron and calcium) using data on usual daily nutrient intakes from Irish national nutrition surveys. RESULTS SML of...

Vitamin D status has been extensively studied throughout the world. However, most of the studies are from North America, Europe and Oceania. This review describes published evidence on vitamin D status among healthy postmenopausal women in South America, where food is not fortified with vitamin D. A literature search identified ten studies from only three countries in the region: Argentina, Bra...

A. Nature of the research problem Adequate vitamin D is essential for normal human growth and development; insufficient vitamin D compromises long term health, and increases the risk of chronic disease. In recent years, reports in the medical literature have indicated that vitamin D deficiency in the US is widespread and rising. In humans, vitamin D is derived primarily through the effect of so...

Previous national nutrition surveys in Irish adults did not include blood samples; thus, representative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) data are lacking. In the present study, we characterised serum 25(OH)D concentrations in Irish adults from the recent National Adult Nutrition Survey, and determined the impact of vitamin D supplement use and season on serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Of the t...

Vitamin D deficiency prevails in epidemic proportions all over the Indian subcontinent, with a prevalence of 70%-100% in the general population. In India, widely consumed food items such as dairy products are rarely fortified with vitamin D. Indian socioreligious and cultural practices do not facilitate adequate sun exposure, thereby negating potential benefits of plentiful sunshine. Consequent...

BACKGROUND Older people are at increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency and the provision of fortified foods may be an effective way to ensure good vitamin B12 status in later life. AIM To evaluate the effectiveness of a vitamin B12 fortified food provided by a national program of complementary food for older people on plasma vitamin B12 levels. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A random sub-sample of 3...