Evidence of Low Vitamin D Intakes in the Australian Population Points to a Need for Data-driven Nutrition Policy for Improving Population Vitamin D Status

Background: Nearly one in four Australian adults is vitamin D deficient (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations [25(OH)D] < 50 nmol L ) and current vitamin D intakes in the Australian population are unknown. Internationally, vitamin D intakes are commonly below recommendations, although estimates generally rely on food composition data that do not include 25(OH)D. We aimed to estimate usual vitamin D intakes in the Australian population.

Methods: Nationally representative food consumption data were collected for Australians aged ≥ 2 years (n = 12,153) as part of the cross-sectional 2011-2013 Australian Health Survey (AHS). New analytical vitamin D food composition data for vitamin D , 25(OH)D , vitamin D and 25(OH)D were mapped to foods and beverages that were commonly consumed by AHS participants. Usual vitamin D intakes (µg day ) by sex and age group were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method.

Results: Assuming a 25(OH)D bioactivity factor of 1, mean daily intakes of vitamin D ranged between 1.84 and 3.25 µg day . Compared to the estimated average requirement of 10 µg day recommended by the Institute of Medicine, more than 95% of people had inadequate vitamin D intakes. We estimated that no participant exceeded the Institute of Medicine's Upper Level of Intake (63-100 µg day , depending on age group).

Conclusions: Usual vitamin D intakes in Australia are low. This evidence, paired with the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Australia, suggests that data-driven nutrition policy is required to safely increase dietary intakes of vitamin D and improve vitamin D status at the population level.