Vitamin D-fortified cooking oil is an effective way to improve vitamin D status: an institutional efficacy trial

• Published in: European journal of nutrition Vol. 59; no. 6; pp. 2547 - 2555
• Main Authors: Nikooyeh, Bahareh, Zargaraan, Azizollaah, Kalayi, Ali, Shariatzadeh, Nastaran, Zahedirad, Maliheh, Jamali, Ali, Khazraie, Marzieh, Hollis, Bruce, Neyestani, Tirang R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; blood serum; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cholesterol; Cooking; cost effectiveness; Edible oils; Female; Food, Fortified - analysis; fortified foods; Helianthus; Humans; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Nutrient deficiency; Nutrition; Nutritional Status; Original Contribution; Risk factors; Single-Blind Method; sunflower oil; Sunflower Oil - chemistry; Vegetable oils; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D - analysis; Vitamin deficiency; Vitamins - administration & dosage; Vitamins - analysis; waist; Efficacy trial; Sunflower oil; Vitamin D; Fortification
• ISSN: 1436-6207; 1436-6215; 1436-6215
• DOI: 10.1007/s00394-019-02103-4

Purpose High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) justifies a cost-effective and sustainable strategy to combat VDD in the community. This study was undertaken for the first time to evaluate the efficacy of daily consumption of vitamin D fortified sunflower oil with a meal. Methods This single-blind trial was conducted in two separate institutions: one as intervention (D-fortified sunflower oil) group (DO, n 1  = 39) and the other as control (unfortified sunflower oil) group (SO, n 2  = 33). Participants consumed their lunches cooked either with D-fortified or unfortified cooking sunflower oil (500 IU/30 g) for 12 weeks. Dietary, anthropometric and biochemical assessments were done for all participants before and after the intervention. Results A total of 65 subjects from both sexes aged 32.5 ± 4 years completed the intervention period. Serum 25(OH)D showed a significant increase in DO and a decrease in SO group (8.8 ± 9.3 vs. − 7.4 ± 6.4 ng/mL, p  < 0.001). The rise in serum 25(OH)D in DO group was accompanied by a significant decrease in iPTH (DO: − 10.2 ± 29.4 vs. SO: + 9.2 ± 29.5 pg/mL; p  = 0.009). A significant reduction in weight ( p  = 0.004), BMI ( p  = 0.029), waist girth ( p  < 0.001), serum total cholesterol ( p  = 0.0290) and LDL-C ( p  = 0.010) was observed in DO, as compared with SO group. Conclusions Cooking oil can be considered as an efficacious vehicle for mass fortification program to combat VDD. The improvement of vitamin D status may bring about betterment of certain cardiometabolic risk factors. Registration number Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03826654.