Dietary supplements and fortified food and drinks are among the options being considered.
02 April 2022
The importance of vitamin D will be the focus of a new review looking at ways to improve intake across the population.
About one in six adults and almost 20% of children in the UK have vitamin D levels lower than government recommendations, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
A review into improving vitamin D levels will look into potential options of dietary supplements and fortified food and drinks.
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets in children and bone pain and muscle weakness in adults.
Older people, the housebound and people from black and South Asian communities are more likely to have lower levels of the vital vitamin.
The call for evidence, launched by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), will gather views from the public, public health experts, retailers, food manufacturers and other industry bodies on ways to improve uptake and tackle disparities.
The review comes ahead of the Health Disparities White Paper due to be published later this year, which the DHSC said will set out action to reduce health disparities between different places and communities, and address their causes, so that people’s backgrounds do not dictate their prospects for a healthy life.
The DHSC said people in the UK obtain the majority of vitamin D from sunlight on their skin during the spring and summer, as dietary sources of vitamin D are limited.
Current advice is for all adults and children to consider taking a daily 10 micrograms supplement of vitamin D between October and March.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We must break the link between background and prospects for a healthy life as I am determined to level up the health of the nation and tackle disparities.
“People from black and Asian communities, older people and people who have limited access to the outdoors are more likely to have lower levels of vitamin D, which is essential for bone and muscle health and improving years of life lived in good health.
“I have launched this call for evidence to identify innovative ways we can encourage people to increase their vitamin D intake and help people live longer, healthier and happier lives.”
