The case in summary: – A new study shows that many young people in Tromsø have too little vitamin D. – The boys came out worse. Around half of the boys have a vitamin D deficiency. – Lifestyle, including diet and lack of sunlight, can be contributing factors to vitamin D deficiency. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – The doctor wanted to take a blood test from me to check if I had all the vitamins. She told me that I had too little vitamin B, vitamin D and folic acid. That’s what Linn Charlotte Slåttnes (17) says. She went to the doctor because she struggled with being often tired. – I slept a lot, but I never became alert. I was unable to function properly in everyday life, says Slåttnes. Johanne Myr Svendsen (17) also went to the doctor and was told that she too had too little vitamin D in her body. It is not unique to young people in the north, according to a comprehensive study. The youth survey “Fit Futures”, carried out by UiT, looked at the lack of vitamin D in young people in two municipalities in Troms: Tromsø and Balsfjord. In total, they examined 600 young people twice: when they were 16 and 18 years old. The survey shows that 77 per cent of 18-year-olds have below the recommended level of vitamin D. 41 percent have a lack of vitamin D. These are high numbers, according to Johanna Öberg, who is a doctor and research fellow. How much vitamin D is recommended Healthy adults: 10 μg (micrograms) Children of all ages: 10 μg Seniors over 75: 20 μg. Breastfed infants 0-12 months: 10 μg in the form of drops. Cod liver oil is not recommended in the first year of life. Pregnant: 10 μg Lactating: 10 μg People with darker skin, overweight, who cover the skin or are inside a lot: 10 μg People with special diseases may receive other recommendations. Source: Norwegian Directorate of Health Surprised by the findings She is one of those who has researched the young people in Tromsø and Balsfjord. Öberg says that there is little information about the levels of vitamin D among young people in Norway. At the same time, she is surprised that there were so many young people who had so little vitamin D in their bodies. The body is great – but then it needs the right amount of vitamin D to be able to function normally. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news She saw a difference when the young people were 16 and 18: the older they got, the fewer there were who had enough vitamin D in their bodies. There was also a gender that stood out: – We saw a clear gender difference where the boys came out worse. About half of the boys have a vitamin D deficiency, says Öberg. Do you take nutritional supplements? Yes, often Occasionally No Show result Important for the skeleton – It is important that young people have enough vitamin D and avoid vitamin D deficiency, because it is during adolescence that we build up our bone mass. Because it is important to have a strong skeleton when we are adults, and also older, says Öberg. Lack of vitamin D leads to a risk of rickets, also called “English disease”, in children and osteomalacia in adults. Lack of vitamin D can also have a possible connection with certain types of cancer, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes and infectious diseases. Watch video: The doctor believes that large parts of the youth population in northern Norway have too little vitamin D in their bodies. One of the reasons is, among other things, that long periods without sunlight to produce vitamin D in the skin. Those who live in northern Norway must therefore be extra good at eating food with vitamin D, says the doctor. The two 17-year-olds in Tromsø both took vitamin D supplements. Johanne noticed no difference, and eventually stopped. But Linn, who also lacked vitamin B and folic acid, had a different experience. – I am more rested in the morning, she says. In December, a survey was carried out by Norstat for news, where the focus was on vitamin D. There it emerged that a fifth of those between the ages of 18 and 29 take vitamin D daily. Have a different lifestyle Öberg, who is a doctor and research fellow, refers to studies about adults and vitamin D, which show that they have more vitamin D in their bodies. She believes that the reason why young people may not get as much vitamin D as adults is that they have a different lifestyle. That, for example, they eat less food with vitamin D, or that they don’t drink cod liver oil. At the same time, it can be difficult to get enough vitamin D through the diet, says Öberg. The fact that young people do not spend enough time out in the sun can also be one of the reasons why they lack vitamin D, she says. Johanne (17) agrees: She doesn’t think that young people are out in the sun enough. Linn (17) also points to the sun, or that the sun has been absent. – I think that the dark time is heavy and long in Tromsø. It’s been a couple of weeks since we got the sun back, so that has helped, says Slåttnes (17).
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Many young people have too little vitamin D – news Troms and Finnmark
