Nutrition and bone health : with particular reference to calcium and vitamin D / report of the Subgroup on Bone Health, Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy.

  • Great Britain. Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy. Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population. Subgroup on Bone Health.
Date:
1998
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Nutrition and bone health : with particular reference to calcium and vitamin D / report of the Subgroup on Bone Health, Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    11.3.2 Food fortification Calcium added compulsorily to flour contributes 12-14 per cent of the total intake and without this proportion, the intakes of many more individuals would fall below DRVs. Calcium fortification of bread should therefore be retained. Bread is a major component in the diets of children and older people; both are groups where it 1s important to ensure that calcium intakes do not fall below current levels. Although the bread consumption of younger adults is less than formerly, it remains an important dietary component, and there is no alternative food that might have a wider uptake than bread. Continued compulsory fortification of margarine with vitamin D and the voluntary fortification of other fat spreads and of breakfast cereals with vitamin D should be continued. 11.3.3. Dietary supplements Calcium supplements have no demonstrable role in public health policies to improve bone health, although they may be useful therapeutically. Vitamin D supplementation is the only realistic means of achieving the RNI values for most people who rely on a dietary source as their major safeguard for achieving an adequate vitamin D status. There needs to be an increase in the low rates of vitamin D supplement taking in the at risk groups, especially during the winter months. Some groups, especially those from Asian communities or older people especially those who are housebound or who seldom go out of doors*”?, need supplements all year round. We recommend that: 5. Dietary means of achieving an adequate calcium intake, as assessed against Dietary Reference Values, should be encouraged. We recommend that: 6. The present policy of fortifying flour with calcium should continue. We recommend that: 7. The public and health professionals should be better informed about the importance of achieving adequate vitamin D status, including the appropriate use of vitamin supplements for those most at risk of vitamin D deficiency. The most vulnerable groups include: ¢ infants, young children and pregnant women from Asian families as well as young African-Caribbean children being reared on strict exclusion diets; ¢ older people who are housebound, who live in institutions or who eat no meat or oily fish; ¢ and people who rarely go out of doors or who, when they do so, wear clothes which fully conceal them. We recommend that: 8. The statutory requirement to fortify margarine with vitamin D should be maintained; reduced fat spreads should also be fortified with vitamin D but