A narrative review of the role of foods as dietary sources of vitamin D of ethnic minority populations with darker skin: the underestimated challenge

Guo, S., Lovegrove, J. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7633-9455 and Givens, D. I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6754-6935 (2019) A narrative review of the role of foods as dietary sources of vitamin D of ethnic minority populations with darker skin: the underestimated challenge. A Narrative Review of The Role of Foods as Dietary, 11 (1). 81. ISSN Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu11010081

Abstract/Summary

In recent years, vitamin D deficiency has attracted attention worldwide. Especially many ethnic minority populations are considered at high-risk of vitamin D deficiency, owing to a lesser ability to synthesis vitamin D from sunlight (ultraviolet B), due to the skin pigment melanin and/or reduced skin exposure due to coverage required by religious and cultural restrictions. Therefore, vitamin D intake from dietary sources has become increasingly important for many ethnic minority populations to achieve adequate vitamin D status compared with the majority of the population. The aim of the study was critically evaluate the vitamin D intake and vitamin D status of the ethnic minority populations with darker skin, and also vitamin D absorption from supplements and ultraviolet B. Pubmed, Embaase and Scopus were searched for articles published up to October 2018. The available evidence showed ethnic minority populations generally have a lower vitamin D status than the majority populations. The main contributory food sources for dietary vitamin D intake were different for ethnic minority populations and majority populations, due to vary dietary patterns. Future strategies to increase dietary vitamin D intake by food fortification or biofortification needs to be explored, not only for the majority population but more specifically for ethnic minority populations who are generally of lower vitamin D status.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/81392
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/nu11010081
Refereed	No
Divisions	Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH) Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Animal Sciences > Animal, Dairy and Food Chain Sciences (ADFCS)- DO NOT USE
Publisher	MDPI
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