TITLE:
Human Vitamin D Deficiency in Tibet
AUTHORS:
Norsang Gelsor, Liwei Ma, Jie Duan, Tsoja Wangmu, Nuozhen Gelsor
KEYWORDS:
Vitamin D, Altitude, Tibet, Solar UV Radiation
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.8 No.12,
December
19,
2017
ABSTRACT: Vitamin D contributes significantly to human bone formation, growth, metabolism
and disease prevention. During 2007-2009 and 2012-2013, we measured
serum calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D3, 25-(OH)D) in Lhasa, Shigatse,
Tingri, Nagqu and other places of Tibet in order to get the status of the overall
level of vitamin D in Tibet. We also studied influence of area, occupation, age,
gender, season and other factors on the serum 25(OH)D level. Results of our
study indicate that: 1) in Tibet, the overall serum concentration of calcidiol is
in deficiency range (25(OH)D level is 12.25 ng/ml); 2) the serum level of
25(OH)D in different regions is generally the same; 3) the serum level of
25(OH)D in young and middle-aged people is 20% higher than that in elder;
4) the level of 25(OH)D in male is slightly higher than in female; 5) the level
of 25(OH)D in summer is significantly higher than that in winter; 6) there are
obvious differences in serum level of 25(OH)D among tested subjects with
different occupations.