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. 1979 Aug 4;2(6185):303–305. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6185.303

Relative contributions of diet and sunlight to vitamin D state in the elderly.

D E Lawson, A A Paul, A E Black, T J Cole, A R Mandal, M Davie
PMCID: PMC1595729  PMID: 476435

Abstract

In winter the vitamin D state of elderly people may reach levels associated with osteomalacia, although the disease may not be clinically apparent. A statistical correlation was observed in a group of elderly subjects during the winter between dietary vitamin D intake and vitamin D state, but the intake was generally too low to make a biologically important contribution to maintaining vitamin D concentrations. Ultraviolet light (UVL) is the primary determinant of vitamin D state in summer and winter, in winter owing to the pools of vitamin D built up during the previous summer. Plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) in winter of 15.0-22.5 nmol/l (6-9 ng/ml) require that the concentration in the previous summer was over 40 nmol/l (16 ng/ml). To maintain plasma concentrations in the elderly above those associated with osteomalacia a mean dietary vitamin D intake of over 5 microgram/day is required. A more physiological approach, however, would be to increase exposure to UVL.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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