Excess retinol intake may explain the high incidence of osteoporosis in northern Europe.

An epidemiologic study of postmenopausal women in Sweden revealed that a chronic excess of retinol intake (> 1.5 mg/day) decreased bone mineral density and increased hip fracture risk. These data provide one explanation for the higher incidence of osteoporosis in Sweden and Norway compared with other European countries. Retinol in fortified milk could explain also the association of high calcium intake and hip fracture incidence in northern Europe because milk is an important source of both nutrients.