The majority of Swedish young children have an adequate vitamin D supply. No child showed signs of deficiency. Nevertheless, the intake was below the recommended value in some of the children. This is the result of an extensive study with over 1,800 children in Sweden.

The study evaluated data from the national nutrition survey “Riksmaten småbarn” from 2021 to 2024. It included 1,074 children aged 18 months and 746 four-year-olds. This is the first detailed analysis of vitamin D intake and vitamin D status following the expansion of mandatory vitamin D fortification in certain foods in 2018.

16 percent of 18-month-old children and 61 percent of four-year-olds did not reach the average recommended daily intake of 7.5 micrograms of vitamin D through food and vitamin D drops. Nevertheless, 93 percent of younger people and 96 percent of older people had sufficient vitamin D levels in their blood.

The most important sources of vitamin D for 18-month-olds were vitamin D drops, as well as fortified dairy products, porridges and cereal products. Among four-year-olds, fortified dairy products and spreads dominated.

The study also took into account the climate footprint of vitamin D suppliers. Dairy products contribute significantly to vitamin D supply, but cause relatively high greenhouse gas emissions. Fortified spreads and plant-based alternatives performed significantly better here and are considered more climate-friendly sources of vitamin D.

André Hesselink, a dietitian and PhD student in clinical nutrition at the University of Gothenburg, said the results showed the importance of fortified dairy products for vitamin D supply, especially after stopping the drops. At the same time, the expansion of enrichment offers the opportunity to integrate plant-based alternatives more strongly and thus reduce the climate footprint of nutrition.

The study was published in the journal Nutrition Journal and conducted by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, the Swedish Food Authority, and RISE. It underlines the effectiveness of the national fortification strategy and provides information on how the vitamin D supply for young children can be further improved and at the same time made more climate-friendly.

Original paper:

High proportion of young children are vitamin D sufficient after expansion of Sweden’s mandatory fortification, but dairy products also contribute to a high climate impact | Nutrition Journal | Springer Nature Link

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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