Kids in northern climates at risk of low vitamin D

Babette Zemel, director of the Nutrition and Growth Laboratory, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said: "The recommended levels of dietary and supplemental vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine (Dietary reference intakes for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D and fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1997) are probably too low to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D. Fortification of foods other than liquid milk should be explored," she said.

The new research measured blood levels of vitamin D in 382 healthy children between six years and 21 years of age living in the northeastern U.S. After measuring the intake of vitamin D from dietary and supplemental sources and evaluating blood levels of vitamin D, the researchers found that 55 per cent of the children had inadequate vitamin D blood levels (levels of 25(OH)D below 30 nanomoles per litre of serum), with the proportion increasing to 68 per cent in winter.

Steve - this should not come as a surprise. There was a reason Cod Liver Oil used to be a staple in children's diets way back when!