April 2010
The National Nutrition Council recommends the following measures to improve the population's vitamin D intake:
It is possible to increase vitamin D intake by fortification foods with vitamin D or by giving recommendations for the use of food supplements or for the selection of certain foods. In addition, it is theoretically also possible to add vitamin D indirectly to the diet by adding it to animal feed. Sufficient intake of vitamin D from both the skin and food is described by the serum vitamin D, or 25(OH)D, concentration. A concentration of more than 50 nmol/l is considered sufficient for health. According to studies, people who normally spend their time outdoors during the summer months need about 10 µg/day of vitamin D from food or food supplements in winter in order to have sufficient serum 25(OH)D concentration.
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is therefore
- 10 µg/day for both children and adults.
- Children from two weeks to two years of age are recommended to use a vitamin D preparation at 10 μg/day all year round.
- For children aged 2-18 years, it is recommended to use a vitamin D preparation at 7.5 μg/day all year round.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women are recommended to take a vitamin D supplement at 10 μg/day all year round.The use of a vitamin D preparation is also recommended for those who do not regularly consume vitamin D-fortified products or fish.
The National Nutrition Council's vitamin D report (in Finnish) examines ways in which vitamin D intake can be increased through various food fortification measures.
The proposed measures include:
- It is recommended to add 1 μg/100 ml of vitamin D3 to liquid dairy products.
- It is recommended to add 20 μg/100 g of vitamin D3 to all spreadable fats, except butter. Vitamin D2 can be added to completely plant-based products.
- The impact of the measures on vitamin D intake and vitamin D status in different population groups should be monitored.
- The vitamin D content of eggs should be re-analyzed and the vitamin D content of other foods in the Fineli data bank should be checked.
- The working group preparing nutritional recommendations in the Nordic countries is asked to take the updating of vitamin D recommendations as a special subject of review.