SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF INCREASING WINTERTIME VITAMIN-D AND CALCIUM INTAKE BY MILK FORTIFICATION

We studied the safety and efficacy of milk fortified with vitamin D-3 and calcium. Over the winter, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-con trolled trial of fortified milk (12 mu g vitamin D-3 and 1525 mg calci um per litre) compared to unfortified milk (0.3 mu g vitamin D-3 and 1 270 mg calcium per litre) in 102 adults (aged 17-54 years). Serum 25-h ydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], ionized calcium, and creatinine were measur ed at baseline and after intervention. Fortification reduced the seaso nal decline in serum 25(OH)D concentrations by >50%. In the fortified group, serum 25(OH)D decreased by 15 nmol/l from 77 +/- 35 nmol/l to 6 2 +/- 26 nmol/l (p < 0.001). In the control group, serum 25(OH)D Cell by 31 nmol/l from 85 +/- 39 nmol/l to 54 +/- 25 nmol/l (p < 0.001). We suggest that milk enriched with vitamin D be provided in high-latitud e European countries to diminish the wintertime fall in serum 25(OH)D.