Plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans: results from the EPIC–Oxford study

摘要

ObjectiveVegetarians 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.DesignA cross-sectional analysis.SettingUnited Kingdom.SubjectsPlasma 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 20a€“76 years from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)a€“Oxford cohort.ResultsPlasma 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) ??g/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) ??g/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 (Julya€“September) compared with the winter months (38 %; Januarya€“March). The prevalence of low plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D (