Study reveals how UV exposure and ethnicity impact vitamin D levels, calling for tailored supplementation guidelines

By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDMay 8 2024Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. A recent study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition discusses the need to adjust for ultraviolet ray exposure and other factors that change desirable vitamin D levels depending on an individual’s ethnicity.

Vitamin D is produced in the skin following exposure to ultraviolet B ; however, the amount of vitamin D produced through this process depends on the individual’s skin color and age, as well as the intensity of incident solar radiation. Vitamin D supplementation and consuming fortified food products can also increase circulating vitamin D levels within the body.

About the study The United Kingdom Biobank cohort, which includes nearly 440,000 White, Black, and Asian individuals, was included in the current study. The median age of the study cohort was 58 years. What did the study show? Among Asians, median vitamin D levels were about 25 ng/mL compared to 31 and 48 ng/mL for Black and White participants, respectively.

Black and Asian study participants had two to four times smaller increases in vitamin D with UVB exposure compared to Whites, likely due to increased skin pigmentation that blocks UVB availability. This observation might explain why vitamin D supplementation was the most important predictor of vitamin D levels among Asian participants.

Among Whites, non-supplementation led to a greater increase in UVB exposure than supplementation, which was in direct contrast to the pattern observed among Black individuals. The reasons for this association remain unclear; however, it may suggest a feedback pathway, perhaps through liver synthesis, that limits the increase in vitamin D levels according to the baseline level.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

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