European Union vitamin D level and recommendations typically vary between five and 15mg per day, depending on lifestage, but there is a need for work in this area, and studies indicate deficiencies are widespread.
Therefore medical advice is crucial as most people don't know they are deficient until they visit their doctor.
“The development of their policy paper is a shift from the existing nutrition recommendations and will be of real added-value in convincing politicians of the need for action – this mirrors to an extent the ongoing efforts in the United States,” said David Webber, the director of studies at PA International Foundation.
PA International Foundation is hosting an event on the topic in Bruges, Belgium, on October 6, its 14th workshop to be held on the matter. The CPME draft paper will be presented at the convention attended by doctors, scientists, patient groups, media representatives and politicians.
It is hoped the policy paper can be adopted by CPME by year’s end.
“While scientists continue to discuss and disagree on the optimum levels and recommendations of vitamin D, there is clearly a case of need to start somewhere – especially since recent studies again demonstrate widespread deficiencies in many parts of society,” Weber said.
“With some vulnerable groups being dangerously deficient leading to serious health concerns, there is a need for the medical community – most importantly General Practitioners – to start discussing vitamin D with patients, particularly as we enter the winter period (with increased risk of flu symptoms) considering the known benefits of vitamin D for boosting the immune function.”
D details
Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. The former, produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm), is said to be more bioactive.
Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.
While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D.