Poor Vitamin D Status in Healthy Populations in India: A Review of Current Evidence

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with rickets in children, with osteoporosis in the elderly, is thought to increase the risk of certain cancers and of cardiovascular diseases, and may have an impact on many other health conditions. Asians are reported to have a poor vitamin D status despite adequate sunshine in their regions. Data on the extent of vitamin D deficiency at the population level from most Asian countries, including India, are limited. Part of the reason for paucity regarding vitamin D status is the absence of clear recommendations on optimal vitamin D intakes and status, as well as clear consensus on the cut-offs for deficiency. With a large country covering several latitudes, ethnicities, cultures, traditions, and attitudes, the current data on vitamin D status in India is inadequate and classified in different ways, making interpretation difficult, and is unrepresentative as it comes only from four states, with about half the data from Delhi. Poor vitamin D status is almost universally reported across all age groups with as many as 95.7 % neonates, 75 % adults and 67 % pregnant women having serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels <50 nmol/L (deficient). Children and adults exposed to sunlight, living in rural or less polluted areas have been reported to have a better vitamin D status, especially in summer months. Lack of conclusive information emphasizes the need for state-specific data on the vitamin D status and the extent of sun exposure to issue recommendations for vitamin D intake in the country.