Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 May;53(5):841-54.

Not enough vitamin D: health consequences for Canadians

Gerry Schwalfenberg  1
Affiliations
Review

Not enough vitamin D: health consequences for Canadians

Gerry Schwalfenberg. Can Fam Physician. 2007 May.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: To review the evidence on vitamin D (VTD) insufficiency and deficiency from a Canadian perspective and to highlight some of the known and evolving implications of insufficiency or deficiency for health.

Quality of evidence: PubMed was searched for articles on VTD insufficiency or deficiency and the role they play in various diseases and conditions. Level I and II evidence indicates that lack of VTD has a major role in short- and long-latency diseases.

Main message: The long winters in Canada and lack of exposure to the sun contribute to lower levels of VTD among Canadians in late winter and spring. Currently recommended levels of fortification and supplementation are likely not high enough to restore adequate levels of VTD in the body. Repletion and maintenance therapy might be needed.

Conclusion: Many Canadians are at risk of VTD insufficiency or deficiency. Assessment of VTD status is important because optimal levels of VTD have been determined for various conditions. Low levels of VTD have negative implications for bone health and the health of other cell types.

OBJECTIF: Faire le point sur les données concernant l’insuffisance/ladéficience en vitamine D (VTD) d’un point de vue canadien et rappeler certaines des conséquences connues ou présentement à l’étude de ce problème pour la santé.

QUALITÉ DES PREUVES: On a consulté PubMed à la recherche d’articles sur l’insuffisance ou la déficience en VTD et sur leur rôle dans diverses maladies ou conditions. Des preuves de niveaux I et II indiquent qu’un manque de VTD joue un rôle important dans des maladies d’apparition rapide ou lente.

PRINCIPAL MESSAGE: Les longs hivers canadiens et le manque d’exposition au soleil contribuent à abaisser les niveaux de VTD chez les Canadiens en fin d’hiver et au printemps. Il est probable que les niveaux d’aliments enrichis ou de suppléments actuellement recommandés ne soient pas suffisants pour assurer des niveaux adéquats de VTD dans l’organisme. Il pourrait être nécessaire de restaurer et de maintenir les réserves.

CONCLUSION: Plusieurs Canadiens sont à risque d’insuffisance ou de déficience en VTD. L’évaluation du bilan de la VTD est important parce que des niveaux optimaux de VTD ont été établis pour diverses conditions. Les bas niveaux de VTD ont des effets négatifssur la santé de l’os et sur celle d’autres types de cellules.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Physiologic actions and potential benefits of vitamin D: References are listed in Tables 1,3, and 7.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Vitamin D supplementation.
    Eveleigh B. Eveleigh B. Can Fam Physician. 2007 Sep;53(9):1435; author reply 1435. Can Fam Physician. 2007. PMID: 17872869 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Not enough vitamin D coverage.
    Nahas R. Nahas R. Can Fam Physician. 2007 Dec;53(12):2104-5. Can Fam Physician. 2007. PMID: 18077740 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Krejs GJ, Nicar MJ, Zerwekh JE, Norman DA, Kane MG, Pak CY. Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on calcium and magnesium absorption in the healthy human jejunum and ileum. Am J Med. 1983;75(6):973–6. - PubMed
    1. Zittermann A, Schleithoff SS, Tenderich G, Berthold HK, Korfer R, Stehle P. Low vitamin D status: a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure? J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;41(1):105–12. - PubMed
    1. Latham NK, Anderson CS, Reid IR. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on strength, physical performance, and falls in older persons: a systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003;51(9):1219–26. - PubMed
    1. Chiu KC, Chu A, Go VL, Saad MF. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(5):820–5. - PubMed
    1. Barger-Lux MJ, Heaney RP, Dowell S, Chen TC, Holick MF. Vitamin D and its major metabolites: serum levels after graded oral dosing in healthy men. Osteoporos Int. 1998;8(3):222–30. - PubMed

MeSH terms