Vitamin D (Bio)Fortified Shopping Baskets to Improve Vitamin D Status

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, muscles, and immune function. It comes from food, supplements, and sunlight. There are two main forms; vitamin D2, found mainly in plant foods, and vitamin D3, which comes from animal foods and is more effective at increasing vitamin D levels in the body. In the UK, sunlight is often too weak especially in winter for the body to make enough vitamin D, so people rely mainly on dietary sources and supplements. Despite this, many people in the UK have low vitamin D levels, and teenagers are particularly at risk due to increased needs during growth, with around one in five adolescents having low vitamin D levels. Poor intake of vitamin D-rich foods, low supplement use, and inconsistent food fortification contribute to this problem. This study aims to assess whether a family-based household diet using natural and fortified vitamin D foods during winter can improve vitamin D levels in adolescents.

NCT Number	NCT07349290
Lead Sponsor	University of Ulster Collaborators: Foodovation North West Regional College, Kenedy Bacon, Sofina Foods Europe, Humanativ Ltd, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
Conditions	Vitamin D Biofortification, Vitamin D Fortification, Vitamin D Status
Enrollment	160 participants
Start Date	2026-02-12
Primary Completion	2027-04 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-04 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-06