People do not go out in the sun these days, especially older people. This is a high risk group of individuals. They don’t get the required amount of vitamin D as they are not exposed to sunlight long enough.

People who have darker skin are also vulnerable to have lower Vitamin D as the melanin does not absorb the vitamin D and cannot convert or converts less into vitamin D from the sunlight. People who cover themselves with a lot of clothing as well as obese people can suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Fat people absorb the Vitamin D into the fat cells but then the Vitamin D gets trapped in the fat cells and cannot escape out and do its job. The fat has to be broken down before the vitamins D can be of any help to the body. Loosing weight and weight management helps with vitamin D absorption. People who work long works in doors or play a lot of indoor sports or work at computers also suffer from lack of this vitamin.

People with osteoporosis and babies of mothers who are low in vitamin D especially if they are being breast-fed also fall into the high risk group for vitamin D deficiency.

The United States recently increased the recommended daily intake of vitamin D in order to reach optimum blood levels of the vitamin. Our last NHMRC recommendations were made around a decade ago and are currently being looked at and it looks like the recommended daily levels of vitamin D are set to rise.

According to Professor Mason, ‘Most people agree that the minimum acceptable vitamin D level is 50 nmol/L (this is what is recommended on the basis that at this level, bone and muscle function is close to normal and so is the handling of calcium by the body).

‘It is also the minimum level recommended by the AustNZ Bone and Mineral Society, the Endocrine Society of Australia, the Endocrine Society (USA) and the Institute of Medicine USA. Some groups recommend even higher levels, with some, though not conclusive evidence.’

Over the last decade the importance of vitamin D has become more significant and in the forefront of research. It has been common knowledge that vitamin D plays an important role in helping the body to absorb calcium and bone mineralisation. Limited dietary sources of vitamin D and insufficient sun exposure can contribute to vitamin D deficiencies. 

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Knowing the importance of vitamin D and the fact that so many Australians and New Zealanders have a vitamin D deficiency means that it is essential that we are getting enough vitamin D at all times.