A new scientific report by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has recommended vitamin D supplements for everyone aged between five and 65 years, particularly teenagers, pregnant women and people of dark-skinned ethnicity.

The report marks the first time that vitamin D nutrition has been examined in terms of how people in the 5-65 age group can achieve optimal intake for long-term health.

It highlights the health consequences of vitamin D deficiency, noting that this can have a negative impact on bone development and growth during key life stages and can have consequences for skeletal integrity at any stage of life. This can result in conditions such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

The report also notes that deficiency has been linked with a range of other serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and infectious diseases, however these links have not yet been proven.

As a result of limited sun availability for a significant portion of the year, people living in Ireland are dependent on foods to supply vitamin D. However, the amount of vitamin D in our food system is generally limited and as a result, low intake of vitamin D is common among Irish children, teenagers and adults.

This report, which is aimed at policy makers, healthcare professionals and other relevant stakeholders, identifies the scientific basis for vitamin D dietary requirements for children, teenagers and adults.

“It benchmarks current dietary intakes among people living in Ireland against these recommended intakes for vitamin D. It also offers key policy options for closing the gap between current and recommended dietary intakes of vitamin D.

“Eating vitamin D-fortified foods as well as taking vitamin D supplements at appropriate doses are important options in the strategy for preventing deficiency,” explained Prof Kevin Cashman, chair of the FSAI’s Public Health Nutrition Subcommittee.

The report recommends the following daily supplements for children and adults living in Ireland even if they are exposed to sunlight during the summer:

-For healthy children (5-11 years), a daily vitamin D supplement containing 10 µg (400 IU) should be taken during extended winter (end of October to March) for those of fair-skinned ethnicity and throughout the full year for those of darker-skinned ethnicity

-For healthy teenagers and adults (12-65 years), a daily vitamin D supplement containing 15 µg (600 IU) should be taken during extended winter (end of October to March) for those of fair-skinned ethnicity, throughout the full year for those of darker-skinned ethnicity and throughout the full year for those who are pregnant regardless of ethnicity.

“In certain life stages, it is important to ensure that we are not deficient in vitamin D. For example, during the teenage years when it facilitates important gains in bone mineral mass and during pregnancy when it is needed for the skeletal development of the foetus and to protect the mother’s bone health.

“At all ages, people of darker-skinned ethnicity have higher vitamin D requirements because the increased content of melanin in darker skin reduces the body’s ability to make vitamin D from UVB rays from sunlight,” Prof Cashman noted.

The report was welcomed by Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO of the FSAI, who said that it clarifies optimal daily doses, current dietary intake and how Ireland can resolve this common vitamin deficiency.

She pointed out that the weaker sunlight available in Ireland between October and March is not a source of vitamin D.

“People may be unaware that even on sunny days in winter, the sun’s rays are the wrong type for the production of vitamin D. As a result, we depend on our diets to supply this key vitamin, but levels of vitamin D are limited in our food supply. This results in vitamin D deficiency being common among children and adults in Ireland.

“We consider the prevention of vitamin D deficiency to be a public health nutrition priority and this report outlines how we can combat this deficiency through using both natural food sources of vitamin D and fortified foods along with appropriate doses of vitamin D supplements,” Dr Byrne said.

She noted that the tolerable upper limit intake level is 50 µg daily for children and 100 µg daily for adults, as declared by the European Food Safety Authority.

“The recommended daily dose of 10 µg for children or 15 µg for adults is overall a safe level of supplemental vitamin D, even when combined with vitamin D intake from diet and fortified foods,” she added.

The report, Vitamin D: Scientific Recommendations for 5 to 65 Year Olds Living in Ireland, can be downloaded from the FSAI website here.