Dietary Intake of Vitamin D in the Czech Population: A Comparison with Dietary Reference Values, Main Food Sources Identified by a Total Diet Study

Abstract

The usual dietary intake of vitamin D was studied in 10 subgroups of the Czech population. Food consumption data was collected using repeated 24 h recall in a national cross-sectional survey (the Study of Individual Food Consumption, SISP04), and the vitamin D content in marketed foods was quantified within the national Total Diet Study (2014–2015). The Monte Carlo Risk Assessment computational model (version MCRA 8.2) was used to assess usual intake. The median vitamin D intakes for the Czech population (aged 4–90 years, both genders) were within a range of 2.5–5.1 μg/day. The highest median intake, excluding dietary supplements, was observed in men aged 18–64, and the lowest was observed in children aged 4–6 and girls aged 11–17. The main sources in the diet were hen eggs (21–28% of usual dietary intake), fine bakery wares (11–19%), cow’s milk and dairy products (7–23%), meat and meat products (4–12%), fish (6–20%), and margarines (7–18%). The dietary intake of vitamin D for more than 95% of the Czech population was below the recommended Dietary Reference Values (DRVs). These findings should encourage public health authorities to support interventions and education and implement new regulatory measures for improving intake.

Usual Dietary Intake, Nutritional Adequacy and Food Sources of Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Vitamin D of Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years. Findings from the EsNuPI Study

“…Finally, it is noteworthy that, in children who did not take adapted formulas (RS), fish and eggs were good sources of vitamin D. Both fish [65] and eggs [71] have been found to be good sources of vitamin D in children. Although these foods are the first source of vitamin D in the present study, it is possible that children may not be meeting the recommended amounts of these foods.…”

Nutritionally adequate food baskets optimised for cultural acceptability as basis for dietary guidelines for low-income Czech families

“…Vitamin D has not been considered in the list of minimum thresholds during the calculations, as it’s not part of the micronutrients for which a RNI value has been released for the Czech Republic [29]. A recent study by Bischofova et al state that dietary intake of vitamin D was in more than 95% of Czech population below the recommended RDIs [46]. Public health interventions directly promoting intake of vitamin D, through supplements, could be more effective.…”

“…Evaluation of this intervention would be required and compared with promotion of a higher vitamin D intake through FBDGs. The main dietary source of vitamin D among Czechs was eggs [46], and this food group was absent from the MWFB for low-income family. Preliminary calculations identified fatty fish to be the most cost-effective source of vitamin D, but the cultural acceptability among the Czech population and its local cost would need to be overcome.…”

Vitamin D deficiency and its health effects

“…Dle výzkumu Státního zdravotního ústavu ČR u 419 dětí ve věku 5-9 let byl deficit vitaminu D (< 25 nmol/l) přítomen u 3 % dětí, insuficience (25-50 nmol/l) u 24 % a suboptimální hladiny (50-75 nmol/l) u 40 % dětí s významným vlivem roční doby měření s nejnižšími průměrnými hodnotami zjištěnými na jaře [12]. Z tohoto pohledu je až alarmující zjištění, že dietní příjem vitaminu D nedosahuje doporučených dietních hodnot u více než 95 % české populace [13]. Deficit vitaminu D je však přítomný v celé evropské populaci, 13 % z 55 844 zařazených osob v rozsáhlém evropském výzkumu vykazovalo hodnoty 25(OH)D 3 < 30 nmol/l, a to bez ohledu na věk, etnické pozadí či zeměpisnou šířku [14].…”