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. 2014 Feb 21;6(2):729–775. doi: 10.3390/nu6020729

Table 3.

Vitamin D supplementation studies in ostensibly healthy Indians. All 25(OH)D values have been shown in ng/mL. To convert from nM to ng/mL, nM values were divided by (2.5). Vitamin D deficiency is defined as 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL, insufficiency as 20–29 ng/mL and sufficiency as ≥30 ng/mL. Information available from the abstract of the article. D3 is cholecalciferol. Calcium amount mentioned is of elemental calcium. Age of the subjects is in mean age (SD) years, unless otherwise indicated.

Locale Study Subjects and Supplementation Protocols Vitamin D Status Reference
Before After
25(OH)D Mean (SD) 25(OH)D Mean (SD) 25(OH)D Mean (SD) % Deficient
Barabanki, 32 km from Lucknow (27° N) Total N = 84, Rural pregnant women, low income group, all received 1 gm calcium/day Median 12.92 (9.12–20.04) - - - Sahu 2009 [124]
N = 14, Control group Median 10.32 (7.56–12.28) - Median 9.52 (6.88–13.04) -
N = 35, Group A, 60,000 IU D3 in the 5th gestational month Median 13.26 (9.04–19.08) - Median 12.36 (9.92–19.24) -
N = 35, Group B, 120,000 IU D3 in the 5th and 7th gestational month Median 16.04 (10.76–23.36) - Median 21.36 (16.46–35.02) -
Lucknow (26.8° N) Pregnant women and neonates. Women age 26.7 (4.0) years, low and middle income group. All were prescribed 1 gm calcium/day - - - - Kalra 2012 [125]
N = 48, Control group - Median 15.68 (8.48–29.36) -
N = 33, Neonates of control group - - Median 7.4 (4.04–11.88) -
N = 48, Group A, 60,000 IU D3 in 2nd trimester Median 12.68 (5.8–18.28) - Median 10.48 (7.08–23.08) -
N = 31, Neonates of group A - - Median 11.28 (6.04–17.2) -
N = 48, Group B, 120,000 IU D3 in 2nd and 3rd trimester Median 12.8 (5.8–18.28) - Median 23.48 (15.36–35.76) 38
N = 28, Neonates of group B - - Median 9.64 (4.88–17.56) -
Delhi (28.3° N) Low birth weight term infants, from all income groups. - - - - Kumar 2011 [126]
N = 237, Control group - - 14.4 (10.2) 73.4
N = 216, Study group, started at 7 days after birth, 1400 IU D3 (dissolved in breast milk) per week, given for 6 months - - 22.0 (9.0) 43.5
Delhi (28.3° N) Low birth weight term infants, from all income groups. - - - - Trilok-Kumar 2012 [127]
N = 187, Control group - - 15.1 (10.5) 72.19
N = 164, Study group, started at 7 days after birth, 1400 IU D3 (dissolved in breast milk) per week, given for 6 months - - 22.8 (8.9) 37.8
Delhi (28.3° N) Urban adolescent schoolgirls - 93.7 - - Marwaha 2010 [128]
N = 60, low income group, age 12 (2.8) years, 60,000 IU D3/2 months, for 1 year 12.48 (0.67) 98 21.2 (1.22) 38
N = 64, low income group, age 11.4 (3) years, 60,000 IU D3/month, for 1 year 13.17 (0.54) 97 23.73 (1.05) 28
N = 81, high income group, age 11.6 (2.7) years, 60,000 IU D3/2 months, for 1 year 11.65 (0.61) 94 15.3 (0.85) 80
N = 85, high income group, age 11.7 (2.8) years, 60,000 IU D3/month, for 1 year 12.32 (0.55) 88 19.97 (0.80) 57
Delhi (28.3° N) Total N = 482, Adolescents, after 60,000 IU D3/week, as per each group. All subjects in all groups received 600 IU D3/day for 12 weeks - - - - Garg 2013 [129]
Group A, 60,000IU D3/week for 4 weeks - - - -
Group B, 60,000IU D3/week for 6 weeks - - 27.0 (6.6) -
Group C, 60,000IU D3/week for 8 weeks - - 28.0 (8.7) -
Delhi (28.3° N) N = 172, Urban young women, nursing students, age 21.7 (4.4) years 9.3 (3.37) - - - Goswami 2012 [130]
N = 43, Group A, double placebo 8.6 (3.26) - 7.7 (3.64) -
N = 43, Group B, 1 gm calcium/day 9.9 (3.24) - 8.1 (2.92) -
N = 43, Group C, 60,000 IU D3/week for 8 weeks, followed by 60,000 IU D3 twice/month for 4 months 9.2 (3.40) - 29.9 (8.35) -
N = 43, Group D, 1 gm calcium/day. Also 60,000 IU D3/week for 8 weeks, followed by 60,000 IU D3 twice/month for 4 months 9.5 (3.47) - 27.0 (9.54) -
Delhi (28.3° N) Urban adults, medical students, age 31.5 (5) years - 100 - - Gupta 2010 [131]
N = 20, Control group, 11 M, 9 F, double placebo 8.44 (3.76) - 11.88 (6.0) -
N = 20, Study group, 13 M, 7 F, received 1 gm calcium/day for months and 60,000 IU D3/week for 8 weeks and then once per month for 4 months 10.16 (3.96) - 22.4 (6.8) -
Delhi (28.3° N) N = 23, Urban adults, age F 33.9 (13.1) years, age M 34 (17) years. 60,000 IU D3/week for 8 weeks. 1 gm calcium was given daily for 8 weeks. Subjects measured at 8 weeks. 5.4 (1.2) 100 32.96 (8.29) 4.3 Goswami 2008 [117]
The subjects were measured again at 12 months. 9.88 (4.6) 100
Delhi (28.3° N) Urban postmenopausal women, age 54.8 (6.7) years. All subjects in all groups received calcium 1 gm/day for 3 months. - 83.7% - - Agarwal 2013 [132]
N = 21, Control group A 12.99 (6.74) - 8.0 (5.28) 95.3
N = 25, Group B, 500 IU/day D3 for 3 months 12.92 (8.20) - 13.34 (9.52) 84.0
N = 18, Group C, 1000 IU/day D3 for 3 months 14.38 (11.07) - 23.71 (11.71) 33.33