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You can find vitamin D in fish from Swiss lakes…
Vitamin D
We can also find it nearby…Vitamin D
On behalf of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), our team has studied the vitamin D content of wild fish from Léman, Neuchâtel and Jura lakes. We have been able to show that some of the fish species, in particular whitefish (féra, palée or bondelle) can contain up to around 10μg of vitamin D per 100g of fish flesh. Therefore, the consumption of fish from Swiss lakes can significantly contribute to meeting the vitamin D needs of the population. (Source). Our institute emphasizes the importance of meeting the nutritional needs of everyone by adopting a balanced diet based on scientifically proven recommendations.
Vitamin D
Properties
- Also named calciferol
- Is a liposoluble vitamin (soluble in fats) that exhibit a broad range of biological functions
- Includes a group of liposoluble molecules encompassing the most abundant forms cholecalciferol (from animal origin, vitamin D3) and ergocalciferol (from plant origin, vitamin D2)
- Is sensitive to light and oxygen
- Is stable during cooking (up to 180°C)
Sources
- Vitamin D requirements are mainly met by endogenous production in the skin (around 90%), dietary intakes covering the remaining needs
- Vitamin D3 is formed in the skin via sun exposure (UVB rays)
- Vitamin D3 formation in the skin depends on skin type, age, duration of sun exposure, geographic location, season, area of exposed skin and usage of sunscreen products
Functions
- Is essential for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorous
- Impacts the functionality of skeletomuscular system
- Has an important modulator role on the immune system
Deficiency symptoms
- Muscular weakness
- Diffused bone and muscle pains
- Severe deficiency leads to rickets in childhood (skeletal malformations) and to osteomalacia in adulthood (softening of normally developed bones)
Groups with vitamin D deficiency risk
- Infants and children
- Pregnant and lactating women
- Elderly
- Chronic debilitating diseases
- Obesity
- People with dark skin
Vitamin D daily recommended intakes
| Age group | Dose µg (IU) per day |
| Infants during first year of life | 10 (400) |
| Infants during second and third year of life | 15 (600) |
| Individuals 3-60 years | 15 (600) |
| Pregnant and lactating women | 15 (600) |
| Individuals of 60 years and more | 20 (800) |
IU = international unit (1 IU represents 0,025 µg of vitamine D).
Source : Recommendations concerning vitamin D (FSVO 2017)
Maximum safety levels for vitamin D daily intake
Vitamin D overdosage can lead to health issues that in extreme cases can provoke kidney stones, renal failure and even death. A diet not supplemented specifically with vitamin D e.g., fortified products, dietary supplements, high dose vitamin supplements (drugs), allows to exclude vitamin D overdosage. Too long sun exposure does not result in excessive vitamin D intake because the body has corresponding regulatory functions. Safe upper levels for daily intakes of vitamin D have been defined:
| Population group | Safe upper levels (daily intake) |
| Infants and children | |
| 0-6 months (up to end of 6th month) | 25 μg or 1000 IU |
| 6-12 months (from 7th month to 12th month) | 37,5 μg or 1500 IU |
| 1-4 years (up to 4th birthday) | 62,5 μg or 2500 IU |
| 4-9 years (up to 9th birthday) | 75 μg or 3000 IU |
| 9-18 years (up to 18th birthday) | 100 μg or 4000 IU |
| Adults | |
| 18-60 years (≥18 years, < 60 years) | 100 μg or 4000 IU |
| 60 years and more (≥ 60 years) | 100 μg or 4000 IU |
| Pregnant or lactating women | 100 μg or 4000 IU |
IU = international unit (1 IU represents 0,025 µg of vitamine D).
Source: Factsheet on vitamin D (FSVO 2017)
Recommendations to ensure vitamin D sufficiency are provided by FSVO
Vitamin D rich foods - Selection extracted from the Swiss food composition database combined with data from Swiss Vitamin Institute on freshwater fishes
| Food categories and food items | Vitamine D (µg/100g) | Food categories and food items | Vitamine D (µg/100g) |
| Sea fish | Meat | ||
| Rollmops | 12,4 | Lamb, leg, roasted* | 7,2 |
| Sardine, raw | 11 | Lamb, leg, raw (Switzerland, New Zealand) | 6,1 |
| Halibut, raw | 9 | Lamb, chop, raw (Switzerland) | 5,2 |
| Salmon wild, raw | 8,4 | Lamb, filet, raw (Australia, New Zealand) | 2,9 |
| Salmon farmed, raw | 8,3 | Lamb, rack, raw (Australia, New Zealand) | 2,9 |
| Sole, raw | 8 | Beef, liver, raw | 1,7 |
| Salmon, farmed, filet, steam cooked* | 7,3 | Ground meet (average beef, veal, pork, chicken), grilled* | 1 |
| Salmon smoked | 6,3 | Ground meet (average veal, beef, pork, chicken), raw | 1 |
| Sardine in oil, à l’huile, drained | 6 | Veal, breast, cooked* | 5,4 |
| Tuna, raw | 4,2 | Veal, chop, raw | 5 |
| Plaice, raw | 3 | Veal, minced, raw | 5 |
| Tuna in oil, drained | 2,4 | Veal, minced, grilled* | 3,7 |
| Tuna natural, drained | 2,2 | Chicken, thigh with skin, roasted* | 1,5 |
| Cod, filet, steam cooked* | 2 | Chicken, thigh, with skin, raw (Switzerland) | 1,5 |
| Cod, raw | 1,8 | Chicken, breast, with skin, raw (Switzerland) | 1,5 |
| Anchovy in oil, drained | 1,7 | Mushrooms | |
| Fresh water fish | Bolete, steamed* | 3,8 | |
| Whitefish, raw | 4,69** (0,93-9,76) | Morel, steamed* | 3,8 |
| Perch, raw | 1,69** (0,46-5,75) | Bolete, raw | 3,1 |
| Pike, raw | 1,02** (0,45-1,34) | Morel, raw | 3,1 |
| Roach, raw | 1,24** (0,28-1,70) | Chanterelle, steamed* | 2,6 |
| Char, raw | 0,83** (0,16-1,50) | Chanterelle, raw | 2,1 |
| Zander | 1,59 | Dairy products | |
| Tench | 3,84 | Roasting butter | 1,6 |
| Trout | 1,25 | Semi-fat butter | 1,4 |
| Egg | Cooking butter | 1,3 | |
| Egg yolk, raw | 4,5 | Powder whole milk | 1,2 |
| Egg chicken, whole, hard boiled egg | 3,1 | Butter of choice | 1,1 |
| Egg chicken, whole, raw | 2,9 | ||
* without addition of fat and salt; ** average data obtained by Swiss Vitamin Institute in 2020 study; in brackets: minimum and maximum values. Data from Swiss food composition database on whitefish of 22,1 μg/100g of vitamin D couldn’t be repeated in 2020 study of Swiss Vitamin Institute on freshwater fishes.
Status assessment and clinical signs
| Clinical condition | Blood level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D nmol/L (ng/ml) | Signification and clinical signs |
| Severe deficiency | <25 nmol/l (<10 ng/ml) | Risk of impaired bone mineralization / rickets / osteomalacia |
| Insufficiency | 25-49 nmol/l (10-19 ng/ml) | Risk of increased degradation of bones or bone turnover or risk of increase in parathyroid hormone |
| Deficiency | <50 nmol/l (< 20 ng/ml) | Encompasses vitamin D insufficiency and severe deficiency |
| Sufficiency | 50 nmol/l (20 ng/ml) | Low risk of bone degradation and of increase in parathyroid hormone; neutral influence on the risk of falls and fractures |
| Target value for reduced risk of falls and fractures | 75 nmol/l (30 ng/ml) | Interruption of the increase in parathyroid hormone and of bone degradation, reduction of the risk of falls and fractures |
Date
21 January 2021
Category
R&D