Objectives
To evaluate the effects of different doses of vitamin D in milk on serum 25(OH)Vitamin D and PTH levels of selected 20- 50 year old men and women.
Methods
Interested participants underwent: 1) initial interview using screening checklist, 2) anthropometric measurements, 3) blood test for related bio-chemical markers, and 4) determination of serum 25(OH)Vitamin D, calcium and PTH levels. There were 159 qualified participants who were randomly allocated into three groups: Vitamin D dose of 600 IU per day (High dose group), 200 IU per day (Low dose group) and unfortified milk. Milk was administered once daily for 6 months.
Results
Significant increases were seen in the 25(OH)Vitamin D levels of the participants: the highest mean difference in the high dose group from baseline to endline was 10.3152 nmol/L; for the low dose group the mean difference was 5.9864 nmol/L and the lowest mean difference was from the unfortified group (5.2167 nmol/L). The greatest decrease in PTH levels was from the high dose group (p-value= 0.011) followed by the low dose (p-value=0.021) and was lowest in the unfortified group.
Conclusions
High dose of Vitamin D fortification in milk resulted in higher increments in plasma 25(OH)Vitamin D levels than either low dose Vitamin D and unfortified milk among adults aged 20 to 50 years old.
