Government launches consultation on how to improve vitamin D intake

The government has launched a consultation on how to improve the population’s vitamin D intake, after research found that one in six adults in the UK have lower than the government’s recommended amount.

The review hopes to find new ways to boost uptake, particularly among older people, the housebound and people from Black and South Asian communities, who are more likely to have lower levels of the vitamin.

Maintaining bone health and preventing damage

Vitamin D is vital in maintaining bone health and preventing damage to bones and muscles after falls. A deficiency in the vitamin can therefore lead to a loss of bone density and can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures.

The current advice is for all adults and children to take a daily 10mg supplement of Vitamin D between October and March, as the sun is not strong enough for the body to make the vitamin.

The consultation will consider ways to improve awareness of vitamin D deficiency and whether to implement voluntary and mandatory fortification of certain foods.

The consultation is open for six weeks

The review comes ahead of the health disparities white paper due to be published later this year, which will set out action to reduce health disparities between different places and communities and address their causes.

Dr Tazeem Bhatia, Interim Chief Nutritionist at OHID, said: “I welcome this call for evidence as part of OHID’s continued drive to improve health outcomes and tackle health disparities. We want to improve the dietary health of the population and this includes supporting everyone to maintain sufficient vitamin D levels to support strong and healthy bones and muscles.”

The government are hoping to hear from the public, public health experts, retailers, food manufacturers and other industry bodies on ambitious ways to improve uptake and tackle disparities.

The consultation began on 3 April and is open for six weeks, ending on Friday 15 May.