Study Finds Location Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency

Did you get your daily dose of sunshine today?  If not, you may need a vitamin D supplement!Author: Sean Wells
Along with other recent news related to the health benefits of Vitamin D–sometimes called “The Sunshine Vitamin”–is the question of whether or not extra Vitamin D is required by certain individuals. With some historical evidence to support it, a widely-held belief is that people living out in the country tend to be in better health overall than city-dwellers, and that one of the underlying causes is the combination of enjoyable fresh air, exercise and, of course, extra sunlight.

Times do change, however, and in recent years residents of rural areas have shown “significant health disparities”, including certain types of cancer and an increase in heart disease that is now comparable to those who live in cities; diagnosis displayed a tendency to occur in later stages, with a corresponding increase in medical expense for treatment. A primary cause of this negative health trend is believed to be Vitamin D deficiency.

To investigate, a recent study compiled the medical records of some 9,396 veterans from 2003 to 2009 across various regions of the southeastern United States. Two factors were cross-referenced: Vitamin D levels, and area of residence. Three categories were established as well–large metropolitan, urban and rural.

Somewhat surprisingly, the population residing in urban, mid-size cities showed the least likelihood of deficiency, while large metropolitan area populations were 49 percent more likely to be deficient in Vitamin D. Those living in areas classified as rural, however, were shown to be 20 percent more likely to be Vitamin D deficient as compared to the first group as well.

As part of their conclusion, the authors stated: “Pending further clinical trials on vitamin D, it appears prudent to use vitamin D to improve health outcomes and potentially reduce costs, since benefits far outweigh the risks of modest vitamin D replacement.”

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Along with the ongoing research that increasingly indicates benefits of Vitamin D, and an RDA for this nutrient that has also been on the rise in recent years, it would seem worthwhile for most of us to consider testing, and perhaps Vitamin D supplementation–wherever we live.