Relationship between nutrient intake and vitamin D status in osteoporotic women

Vitamin D is essential for maintaining calcium homeostasis and optimizing bone health. Its inadequacy is related to many factors including dietary intake. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum 25(OH)D and its relationship with nutrient intakes in postmenopausal Brazilian women with osteoporosis. This cross-sectional study comprised 45 free-living and assisted elderly at Sao Paulo Hospital. Three-day dietary records were used to assess dietary intakes. Bone mineral density was measured with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DXA). Blood and urine sample were collected for analysis of biochemical markers of bone and mineral metabolism. Insufficiency of vitamin D was observed in 24.4% of the women and optimal levels (>= 50 nmol/L) were observed in 75.6%. Parathyroid hormone was above the reference range in 51% of the participants. The mean calcium (724 mg/day) and vitamin D (4.2 mu g/day) intakes were lower than the value proposed by The Food and Nutrition Board and sodium intake was more than two-fold above the recommendation. Higher levels of serum 25(OH)D were inversely associated with sodium intake. Dietary strategies to improve serum vitamin D must focus on increasing vitamin D intake and should take a reduction of sodium intake into consideration.