Vitamin D in the UK – what if we could start afresh? Our new paper argues that it’s time to rethink, save lives and improve health resilience.
CRN UK is proud to have instigated ACT NOW Vitamin D, a new multidisciplinary UK scientific collective committed to improving ‘vitamin D health’ and changing the national landscape and conversation.
Our team brings together experts in molecular and paediatric endocrinology, nutrition science, dietetics, clinical medicine and nutritional epidemiology, and biostatistics: Martin Hewison, Suma Uday, Tom Hill, Jonathan Rhodes, Carrie Ruxton, Chris Sempos.
We have now published our first paper in Frontiers in Endocrinology (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1870408/full). Our proposal challenges the current UK definition of vitamin D deficiency. We argue that the threshold should be aligned with international authorities by increasing it from 25 nmol/L to 50 nmol/L. In practical terms, vitamin D status becomes much simpler: below 50 nmol/L = deficient; 50 nmol/L or above = not deficient.
Why does this matter?
Because nutritional rickets and osteomalacia have still not been eradicated in the UK – despite vitamin D correcting both. Tragically, some babies and infants continue to die from the consequences of vitamin D deficiency. At the same time, evidence linking adequate vitamin D status with wider positive health outcomes continues to grow. Combined with the UK’s northern latitude and increasingly diverse population, it’s time to rethink our approach.
This is only the beginning. Raising the threshold would stimulate important discussions about recommended vitamin D intakes, provide a clearer picture of deficiency across the life course, and simplify both clinical practice and research.
Our next step is to engage with government, professional bodies and other key stakeholders to help catalyse national discussion and, ultimately, improve public health.
More updates to follow.
Dr Sam Christie, Scientific Adviser to CRN UK
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