Officials say the study was launched after evidence that about one in six adults in the UK has low levels of vitamin D, a deficiency that can lead to conditions such as rickets, disabilities and bone pain.
Greater use of supplements will also be considered, with Javid calling on experts and patient groups to come up with evidence, according to The Guardian.
Almost 20% of children in the UK have lower vitamin D levels than government recommendations.
Health officials say older people, people who are immobilized at home and people in communities of color and in South Asia are also more likely to have lower levels.
The new call for evidence is being launched by the Office for the Improvement of Health and Disparities (OHID) and comes with broader proposals to eliminate health disparities, which will be published later this year.
The official advice states that all adults and children should consider taking a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D in the darker months of October and March. Other risk groups are advised to consider taking a supplement throughout the year.
“We need to break the connection between the environment of origin and the prospects for a healthy life. I am determined to raise the nation’s health and fight disparities, “said Javid. D, which is essential for healthy bones and muscles and for improving the years of life we live in good health, we have launched this request for evidence to identify innovative ways in which we can encourage people to increase their vitamin D intake and help people to live longer, healthier and happier ”.
The study comes after the government chose not to repeat a program of free distribution of vitamin D supplements to vulnerable people last winter. In the previous year, nearly three million clinically vulnerable people received a free four-month supplement. Doctors were worried that this group had spent so much time protecting themselves indoors that they might have a vitamin deficiency, largely provided by sunlight.
Some groups and parliamentarians have suggested that vitamin D may play a role in fighting COVID, as it may play a role in the immune response.
However, the evidence was mixed. An evaluation of recent studies suggested that there was “no clear and consistent benefit” of the supplement in combating upper respiratory infections. Another, who looked at health workers, suggested that it could reduce infections and morbidity.
(source: AFP)
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