Intake of vitamin D - strategies for health and climate sustainability

Climate change is a global threat and food production is targeted as the largest cause. Thus, a transition towards a more plant-based diet with lower climate impact is warranted.

For vitamin D, such a transition impairs the possibility of an adequate dietary intake in Sweden, since vitamin D is present in fish and dairy with relatively high climate impact.

To increase vitamin D intake, the mandatory fortification in Sweden was recently expanded with higher amounts and a wider range of fortified foods. It is not known if a sustainable and adequate intake of vitamin D can be achieved with the current fortification.

Thus, among the Swedish general population, and the vulnerable groups pregnant women, adolescents, and children, we aim 1) to explore how adequate vitamin D intake can be achieved in diets with low climate impact, and 2) to determine the need and added value of additional foods for vitamin D fortification to achieve health equity and reduced climate impact.

Dietary data from large existing Swedish population-based cohorts, covering most ages, will be linked to a Swedish food climate database with life cycle analysis of climate impact of foods. How to reach adequate vitamin D intake in diets with low climate impact will be explored through linear programming.

Measures of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood will further evaluate current fortification.

The project will provide important knowledge on strategies on how to achieve adequate vitamin D intake in a sustainable way.