Plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans: results from the EPIC-Oxford study.
OBJECTIVE
Vegetarians and vegans exclude certain food sources of vitamin D from their diet, but it is not clear to what extent this affects plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). The objective was to investigate differences in vitamin D intake and plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D among meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis.


METHODS
United Kingdom.


METHODS
Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were measured in 2107 white men and women (1388 meat eaters, 210 fish eaters, 420 vegetarians and eighty-nine vegans) aged 20-76 years from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford cohort.


RESULTS
Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations reflected the degree of animal product exclusion and, hence, dietary intake of vitamin D; meat eaters had the highest mean intake of vitamin D (3·1 (95 % CI 3·0, 3·2) μg/d) and mean plasma 25(OH)D concentrations (77·0 (95 % CI 75·4, 78·8) nmol/l) and vegans the lowest (0·7 (95 % CI 0·6, 0·8) μg/d and 55·8 (95 % CI 51·0, 61·0) nmol/l, respectively). The magnitude of difference in 25(OH)D concentrations between meat eaters and vegans was smaller (20 %) among those participants who had a blood sample collected during the summer months (July-September) compared with the winter months (38 %; January-March). The prevalence of low plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D (<25 nmol/l) during the winter and spring ranged from <1 % to 8 % across the diet groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were lower in vegetarians and vegans than in meat and fish eaters; diet is an important determinant of plasma 25(OH)D in this British population.
Crowe
Francesca L
FL
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK. francesca.crowe@ceu.ox.ac.uk
Steur
Marinka
M
Allen
Naomi E
NE
Appleby
Paul N
PN
Travis
Ruth C
RC
Key
Timothy J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D004739:England; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D017747:Seafood; D012621:Seasons; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D