Lycored, an ingredients supplier specializing in carotenoid-based wellness products for foods, beverages, and supplements, recently shared a survey which found that two-thirds (66%) of a sample of 500 physically active participants are concerned that they are not getting enough vitamin D. The company also specializes in vitamins D2 and D3 ingredients.
 
Along with age and diet quality, the amount of sun exposure one gets is also a key determining factor for vitamin D deficiency. The micronutrient helps regulate levels of calcium and phosphate, and has been shown to support bone, teeth, and muscle help, and supports healthy immune function.
 
Concerns about vitamin D deficiency were especially high among millennials (74%) between the ages of 25 and 34 years old.
 
The survey was conducted between Oct. 8 and 14 this year, during a time in which there were different levels of restriction on movement across the three countries surveyed. New Zealand, which currently had the least restrictive guidelines related to the pandemic, had less-concerned consumers (53%) compared to either the U.S. (72%) or Australia (69%). These findings seem to reflect prior research indicating an extremely sharp increase in interest and consumption of vitamin D. Mentions of vitamin D, for example, increased by 181% across social media platforms between September 2019 and September 2020.
 
Interest is also high in countries where governments encourage vitamin D consumption in their official advice. In the U.K., people are now advised by the government to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day, which led to a 20% increase in new product launches containing vitamin D between 2019 and 2020.
 
“Of course the coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on vitamin and supplement markets and one of the most obvious trends has been increased interest in vitamin D,” Christiane Lippert, global product manager of vitamins and delivery systems at Lycored, said. “Our research supports the case that this is largely a result of concern about the effects of spending more time indoors. Clearly, many sun-deprived consumers are looking to supplements, and this demand is likely to increase in the near future, especially in countries entering the winter months.”