Did You Know?

Vitamin D Levels See Dramatic Decrease

July 2009

Vitamin D levels have dramatically decreased among Americans in the past two decades, according to a recent study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "We found a marked increase in vitamin D deficiency over the past two decades," said lead researcher Dr. Adit Ginde, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. "Over three out of every four Americans now have vitamin D levels below what we believe is necessary for optimal health. African-Americans and Hispanics are at particularly high risk—nearly all have suboptimal levels." The researchers found that average vitamin D levels were 30 nanograms per milliliter from 1988 to 1994, but decreased to 24 nanograms per milliliter between 2001 and 2004. Moreover, vitamin D levels of less than 10 nanograms per milliliter increased from two percent to six percent over the study period.

Archives of Internal Medicine 169(6):626–632, 2009

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