Dear All,
Once again we would like to thank you for your input and suggestions following November’s Newsletter. In this month’s edition, we will inform you about the recent debate that took place between the European Parliament and the European Commission on Vitamin D deficiency in Europe. Furthermore, we will report on the annual Caroline Walker Lecture, whose subject this year was Vitamin D policy in the UK, an upcoming meeting on Vitamin D policy taking place in the United Kingdom (UK), and a new Dutch scientific publication on Vitamin D deficiency.
News
EP Oral Question to the European Commission debated in ENVI Committee
Following the numerous written Parliamentary Questions on Vitamin D submitted by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) over the past several months (for more information please contact us or visit our website) the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee of the European Parliament held a debate with the European Commission on 29 November. The debate was initiated by an Oral Question submitted by Mr. János Áder MEP, in conjunction with Mr. Jim Higgins MEP and Dr. Anja Weisgerber MEP, on the issue of Vitamin D deficiency and the actions undertaken on behalf of the European Union. In his presentation Mr. Áder outlined the importance of Vitamin D as a public health issue, particularly in relation to children and adults. It was particularly relevant to act now considering the fact that current recommended daily intake levels were established over 20 years ago. Mr. Áder noted that it is estimated that around 50% of Europe’s population is Vitamin D deficient, and reiterated that the economic costs of acting to prevent Vitamin D deficiency were minimal when compared to the potential cost savings.
In response the European Commission, represented by Mr. Andrzej Jan Rys, Director of Public Health and Risk Assessment at the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG Sanco), stated that the Commission is aware of the health benefits provided by Vitamin D, and that the Commission welcomed the activities of the European Parliament. However, he argued that there were not a sufficient number of randomised controlled trials available to support the benefits attributed to Vitamin D other than for bone and muscle health. Furthermore, Mr. Rys stated that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is expected to deliver its updated scientific advice on Vitamin D by the end of 2012, and the Commission will consider further action following this.
In the debate with the Committee Members that followed, a number of issues were raised. Reference was made to the European Parliament’s previous experience with Vitamin C and legislation that the Parliament had passed on the regulation of food supplements. The fact that there were different recommendations in different EU countries, for example in the recommended intake levels for children in Finland and the UK, was brought to the attention of the MEPs. Despite some uncertainty expressed about engaging in focused action on one specific micronutrient such as Vitamin D, and concern on the part of some MEPs as to whether it was necessary undertake actions at the moment, it was agreed that Vitamin D deficiency was a relevant issue, and that an information campaign under the banner of health prevention could be a possible step going forward. Furthermore, it was noted that there should be a balance struck between a healthy diet and sun exposure to achieve optimum Vitamin D intake, and that the main focus of action should be on the vulnerable in society. At the end of the debate it was suggested that the ENVI Committee’s Working Group on Health would further deal with the issue. We will endeavour to inform you of further developments in this regard, and if you would require more information, please contact us at vitamind@pa-international.org.
New IoM Recommendations for Vitamin D and Calcium
The US Institute of Medicine (IoM) has released its report on new recommendation for Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Calcium and Vitamin D. For information on the outcomes of the research, please see our dedicated newsletter here.
UK public health policy on Vitamin D
On 16 November the annual Caroline Walker Lecture was delivered by Oliver Gillie entitled “Sunlight robbery: Vitamin D and public health – Is current UK public health policy on vitamin D fit for purpose?”. Dr. Gillie in his lecture described the state of UK policy on Vitamin D as being a “disgrace” for a number of years. Dietary and environmental factors, and modern lifestyles resulting in less sun exposure, have resulted in a decline in Vitamin D levels in the UK population, which Dr. Gillie stated as being at least in part responsible for the rise in prevalence of such chronic diseases as Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, certain cancers and asthma. He said that compared to the economic costs caused by smoking, those caused by Vitamin D deficiency were much greater (£6bn and £27bn respectively). Furthermore, he identified five failures in UK Vitamin D policy:
- Government advice that healthy adults need no Vitamin D supplements, despite advice from such groups as British health insurer Bupa to the contrary;
- Government advice to mothers that babies do not need to be given Vitamin D supplements until they are 6 months old;
- the failure of Government programmes which provide free Vitamin D supplements to pregnant women and children to adequately reach all those that require them;
- the failure to follow countries such as the US, Canada, Finland and Ireland in fortifying milk with Vitamin D;
- and, Government advice highlighting only the risks associated with sun exposure and not the potential benefits
To counter the damaging effects of Vitamin D deficiency, Dr. Gillie proposed that daily intakes of Vitamin D of 2000-4000 International Units (IUs) would be required for optimal health, and more for pregnant and nursing mothers. Further necessary actions proposed include giving doctors more information on Vitamin D, advising all cardiology, diabetes, cancer and arthritis patients to take Vitamin D, encouraging industry to increase the production of fortified foods, and spreading the word to those that make the decisions, such as Parliamentarians, doctors, health authorities, and chief medical officers. For further information please get in touch with us.
New light on Vitamin D – Dutch article on the re-evaluation of an essential pro-hormone
The Dutch Journal for Medicine (Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2010; 154:A1810) has published on 16 November a new contribution entitled “New light on Vitamin D – Re-evaluation of an essential pre-hormone” by Dr. Jos P.M. Wielders, et al, under the Department of Clinical Chemistry of the Meander Medical Centre Amersfoort. The article deals with the fact that Vitamin D deficiency is no longer solely related to the occurrence of osteomalacia, rickets and osteoporosis. The paper states that there also exists a causal relation between Vitamin D and muscle function and the functioning of the immune system. Low Vitamin D-serum levels in the blood are associated with an increased risk of auto-immune diseases and diverse types of melanoma, such as prostate, colon and breast cancer. This has lead to discussions on the optimal serum concentration and the adaptation of recommended Vitamin D-supplementation. In Europe, a 25-hydroxyvitamin D consensus appears to emerge on a minimum value of 50nmol/l and a recommended target value of 75nmol/l in the serum. It has been observed that among the elderly and ethnic minority populations a majority of people are deficient or seriously deficient in Vitamin D – cases in which “one-shot” treatment with Vitamin D are being considered. Medical attention to Vitamin D deficiency is, above all, recommended when dealing with incomprehensible muscle pain or weakness and with patients from risk groups like the elderly, ethnic minorities, chronic diseases, people who spend too much time inside, excessive users of sunscreen and patients with serious overweight. The authors conclude that particularly among these risk groups and pregnant women attention should be paid to the important role of Vitamin D ‘from cradle to grave’. The article is available online, and will shortly be released in print. For further information please contact us.
Upcoming Events
Vitamin D Meeting, London
A meeting to provide an update on the status of Vitamin D policy is set to take place in London on 9 December, at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. At the meeting Dr. Robert Heaney, a leading member of the faculty of the Creighton University Osteoporosis Research Centre in the US, will provide an overview of the latest scientific evidence and an assessment of the recently released IoM report on dietary reference values for Vitamin D. Also, there will be a discussion on how doctors are currently treating Vitamin D deficiency, how to treat Vitamin D deficiency in the community, and what the next steps for Vitamin D policy are.
Please contact:
Rufus Greenbaum Email: rufus@greenbaum.com Tel: +44 7831 135428
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information on any of the items above. If you have a Vitamin D story that you would like to share, let us know and we will circulate it through our dedicated “D” network – 1300+ concerned scientists, doctors, politicians, patients, industry and media which is constantly expanding.
Best regards,
The Vitamin D Team
Public Advice International Foundation
vitaminD@pa-international.org
PA International's Vitamin D NewsBlog 