Hi,

 This just came through on Intelihealth, so I thought I'd pass it along. Hope 
you find it helpful.

Kathleen Fallon Pasakarnis, M.Ed. IBCLC

African American Women Are At Greater Risk Of Vitamin D Deficiency Than White 
Women

June 20, 2002
(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) -- Vitamin D is essential to 
maximize skeletal heath from birth until death, and vitamin D deficiency 
among women of childbearing age has received renewed attention. 
Hypovitaminosis D in women of childbearing age may result in inadequate 
transfer of maternal vitamin D to the fetus during pregnancy, which, in turn, 
can lead to low infant stores. Nesby-O'Dell et al., publishing in the 
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found in a study of women of 
reproductive age that African American women had a much higher incidence of 
hypovitaminosis D than white women.

In 1988-1994, the researchers examined 1546 African American women and 1426 
white women aged 15 to 49 years, none of whom were pregnant. Hypovitaminosis 
D was 10 times more prevalent in African American (42%) than in white women 
(4%). Every determinant of vitamin D status contributed in some part to the 
prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the African American women, including 
urban residence, increased skin melanin with low rates of casual sunlight 
exposure, and low consumption of fortified milk and cereal. Even 10-30% 
African American women who consumed adequate intakes of vitamin D from 
supplements had hypovitaminosis D, indicating that the standard 200-400 
IU/day found in most vitamin supplements may be inadequate for these women.

According to an accompanying editorial by Holick, adequate vitamin D may also 
decrease the risk of developing some cancers, type 1 diabetes, and possibly 
multiple sclerosis. He suggests that in the absence of adequate exposure to 
sunlight, the recommended daily dosage of vitamin D should be raised to 
¡Ý800-1,000 IU/day for people of all ages. 
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtPrint/WSIHW000/333/343/351537.html?hide=t&
k=basePrint



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