Researchers have launched one of the UK’s first human trials of gene-edited foods to determine whether biooxidized tomatoes can cope with vitamin D deficiency in participants who consume them.
The study, entitled Vital-D Study, presents a step towards discovering how biooxidized foods are key to addressing the issue of vitamin D deficiency.
Why is Vitamin D so important to humans?
Vitamin D is essential to help the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, thereby maintaining strong bones, teeth and muscles, and supporting the immune system in the fight against infections.
However, in autumn and winter, many people experience this essential vitamin defect due to reduced sunlight and the need for thick clothing.
To overcome this defect, you can consume vitamin D-rich foods such as oily fish, lean meat, and egg yolks. But the plants don’t have that.
Vitamin D deficiency: Facts and numbers
One in five people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D in the winter and spring, and almost a billion people around the world lack sufficient vitamin D.
There is a high possibility that there is a shortage of people with dark skin, elderly people, pregnant, breastfeeding, and people trapped indoors.
Low levels are associated with conditions such as depression, dementia, and increased risk of certain cancers.
Regulates genes in tomato plants
Some plants, including tomatoes, create a precursor of vitamin D called provitamin D3 as a mediator, which is then converted into a compound that the plant uses for protection.
Using gene editing, researchers have accurately regulated the genes of tomato plants and accumulated very high levels of provitamin D3 in fruits and leaves.
Unlike foods that are fortified during processing, these tomatoes are biooxidized, which means that the plants themselves produce higher levels of provitamin D3.
Exposed to plants’ sunlight and shining UV light B converts provitamin D3 to vitamin D3. This is a more stable form that is useful to humans.
Each tomato has as much vitamin D as two eggs or 28g of tuna. Two recommended sources. This change in genetic structure does not affect the appearance, growth, or yield of the plant.
First exam
The Quadram Institute and John Innes Center register 76 participants with low vitamin D levels in the Vital D study and are funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC).
Participants age 18 and older live within 40 miles of Norwich, where the study is being conducted, and consume a portion of the tomato soup every three weeks.
Studies will then determine whether this leads to an increase in blood concentrations of the active form of vitamin D. This helps us stay healthy.
Professor Cathie Martin FRS, group leader at John Innes Center, explained:
“Though people often take vitamin supplements, new breeding techniques mean that in the future, the healthy, fresh foods that many people eat will be fortified with micronutrients from day one, which could boost the health of all of us.”
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