A recent study conducted by The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association reported an astoundingly high figure of vitamin D prevalence worldwide.
Researchers provided a comprehensive overview of vitamin D, including vitamin D physiology, risk factors for deficiency, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing research. Some of the major findings of this review include:
- Approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide, nearly 15% of the world’s population, are vitamin D deficient or insufficient (less than 20 ng/ml or between 20-30 ng/ml, respectively).
- Insufficient UVB exposure caused by sunscreen use, time of day exposed to the sun, season, latitude, skin pigmentation and clothing is one of the main causes of vitamin D deficiency.
- Vitamin D3 supplements are superior to D2 for raising 25(OH)D in individuals.
- Supplementing with 50,000 IU per week or 6,000 IU per day is sufficient for eliminating vitamin D deficiency (>30 ng/ml).
As research continues to highlight the importance of vitamin D and the prevalence of deficiency, more individuals are beginning to take action to remedy this. Each year we get closer to ending the vitamin D deficiency pandemic.
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