A Third of Canadian Children Have Vitamin D Deficiency |
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A new Toronto-based study shows that as many as a third of Canadian children have vitamin D deficiency, putting them at risk for bone disease now and potentially at risk for a variety of health problems as adults.The vitamin has long been associated with bone health and strength, and recent research has shown that deficiencies can play a role in the development of a host of disorders and diseases, ranging from diabetes to cancer and multiple sclerosis.The study, which followed 91 healthy children from average backgrounds, was conducted by Toronto's Hospital For Sick Children. 32 percent of the children in the study were found to have D vitamin levels far below the standard set by the American Academy of pediatrics, and an astonishing 82 percent fell below the 400 IU recommendation set by the Canadian pediatric sciences.Study author Dr. Jonathon Maguire noted that the only place in the US where similarly low levels of the vitamin are found is Alaska. But the lack of sunshine that may be causal in Alaska isn't a common factor, as southern Ontario has much more sun exposure than Alaska.The study revealed some perplexing rises and falls in the vitamin D levels of the children, with levels dropping significantly during the second year of life and remaining low until teenage years, when the levels tend rise again. So far there is no explanation for these changes, though Maguire said infant feeding patterns could be a contributing factor. Most Canadian children are either breast-fed or given formula that is supplemented with vitamin D, but after infancy they're switched to solid foods. Though D vitamin is present in some foods and is supplemented in milk products, most foods don't contain a lot of the vitamin.Exposure to sunlight triggers the body to manufacture vitamin D. It has been theorized that in Canada the sun may be too weak to trigger production during the winter months.Though the study stopped short of suggesting causes for the vitamin D deficiency, it did identify some patterns among the various levels. Children who had more body fat and who regularly ate snacks while watching TV tended to have lower levels of the vitamin. |
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