Vitamine D : faut-il revoir les besoins et apports recommandés ?

The anti-rachitic action of vitamin D has been discovered more than 80 years ago and daily requirements and recommended dietary intakes of vitamin D are still defined on the basis of this action. Recent discoveries have pointed out the vitamin D resistance observed with advancing age and extended the field of vitamin D actions far beyond that related to calcium and bone metabolism. They give support to the prevention strategy against infantile rickets followed in France since 1963, 25 to 62 microgrammes/day, as this dosage may not only prevent the occurrence of rickets but also that of type I diabetes. They call for a redefinition of optimal intakes for elderly, with daily dosages of at least 20-25 microgrammes. They suggest that increased vitamin D intakes in adults may decrease the risk of breast and colon cancer, but new recommendations should await stronger evidences obtained from interventional studies and a more exhaustive evaluation of the possible deleterious consequences of long term intakes exceeding the current recommendations.