Bioavailability of vitamin D biofortified pork meat: results of an acute human crossover study

Abstract

Vitamin D intakes are concerningly low (1). Relatively few foods contain high levels of vitamin D and therefore, coupled with varying diurnal ultraviolet‐B (UVB) radiation intensity and poor supplement uptake, hypovitaminosis D is prevalent(2). Food‐based strategies, such as endogenous biofortification, are urgently warranted to increase vitamin D intakes and subsequently improve 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations. No research to date has explored the bioavailability of ultraviolet (UV)‐biofortified pork in humans (3). Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of vitamin D biofortified pork to increase 25(OH)D3 concentrations, compared to a dose‐matched vitamin D3 supplement and control pork in adults. An acute randomised double‐blind, controlled, three‐way crossover study was conducted in healthy Caucasian adults (n = 14; age: 23 ± 6 y; body mass index: 21.8 ± 1.8 kg/m2). Participants received either biofortified pork derived from pigs exposed UVB light (5 μg vitamin D3/portion), control pork (1.8 μg vitamin D3/portion) or a supplement (5 μg vitamin D3), with a 2‐week washout period between each visit. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and then 1.5, 3, 6, 9 and 24 hour postprandially. Serum 25(OH)D3 was analysed by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS/MS). The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04207294). There was a significant effect of time (p < 0.01) and a significant treatment∗time interaction (p < 0.05). UV pork and supplement significantly increased within‐group serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations over timepoints (p < 0.05). Average peak blood concentration (Cmax) values were modestly higher with supplementation (Supplement: 44.3 nmol/L; UV pork: 42.4 mol/L; Control pork 38.4 nmol/L). Between‐group analysis showed no significant difference at any timepoint and there were no significant differences in area under the curve (AUC) between treatments, even when split by vitamin D status (