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Vitamin D pp 453–467Cite as

Vitamin D Deficiency and Consequences for the Health of People in Mediterranean Countries

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Part of the Nutrition and Health book series (NH)

Abstract

The results of several recent cross-sectional observational studies conducted across Spain and other Mediterranean countries showed a very high prevalence of population with vitamin D deficiency, which produces skeletal and extra skeletal health consequences for the Mediterranean populations. According to these data it is important to highlight the need for improving patient’s and physician’s understanding of the optimization of vitamin D status irrespective of the hypothetical availability of hours of sun in Mediterranean countries. The medical community has an ethical responsibility to heighten efforts by individual health surveillance to ensure adequate vitamin D intake by patients and to teach the public about vitamin D.

Governmental policy and health policy makers will have to decide whether food fortification or supplements are the best way to achieve adequate vitamin D levels in Mediterranean populations.

KeyWords

  • Spain
  • mediterranean countries
  • 25-hydroxyvitamin D
  • vitamin D deficiency
  • North Africa
  • UV
  • sunlight
  • vitamin D
  • infants
  • clothing

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Metabolismo Mineral, Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Centro CEDOS y Unidad de I+D+i Sanyres, Hospital Universitário Reina Sofia, RETICEF, Córdoba, Spain

    Jose Manuel Quesada Gomez

  2. Metabolic Bone Diseases Unit, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Medicine Chair Metabolic Bone Diseases Universidad Autonoma, RETICEF, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Diaz Curiel

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  1. Jose Manuel Quesada Gomez
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  2. Manuel Diaz Curiel
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  1. East Newton St. 85, Boston, 02118, Massachusetts, USA

    Michael F. Holick

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Quesada Gomez, J.M., Curiel, M.D. (2010). Vitamin D Deficiency and Consequences for the Health of People in Mediterranean Countries. In: Holick, M. (eds) Vitamin D. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-303-9_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-303-9_23

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-300-8

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