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Calcium, vitamins D and K in celiac disease.

Children with celiac disease may have weak bones because they don’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D. In this study, 43 children aged 3 to 17, with celiac disease, agreed to follow a gluten free diet. At the start, 43 percent were low in vitamin D and 25 percent were low in vitamin K, with a direct link to lower bone mineral density (BMD) scores.

After one year, BMD scores had not changed. One-third of the children were still not getting enough vitamin K on the gluten free diet, and all the children were getting too little calcium and vitamin D. Study authors said children with celiac disease should supplement at least the recommended daily allowance of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K.

Overweight kids deficient in vitamin D

Doctors in this study compared vitamin D levels in 411 obese kids, aged 6 to 16, to 87 normal-weight kids of the same age. Children told researchers about their daily diets including soda, juice, fruit and vegetables, as well as how often they skipped breakfast. Half of the obese children were deficient in vitamin D, compared to 22 percent of normal-weight kids, and 92 percent were low in vitamin D, compared to 68 percent for normal-weight kids. The more kids skipped breakfast, drank soda, and fruit juice, the lower the levels of vitamin D.

Obese kids were also more likely to show signs of insulin resistance, and doctors said that while this study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, they suspect low vitamin D levels may play a role in developing type 2 diabetes.

Reference: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism; 2012, Vol. 97, No. 1, 279-85

From the April 2012 newsletter

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