Effect of a Traditional Dried Fig (Ficus carica L.) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Preparation on Vitamin D Status in University Students: A Preliminary Pilot Study

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is common in sunny regions and may be influenced by lifestyle and dietary factors. This preliminary pre–post pilot study assessed vitamin D status among university students and explored changes following daily consumption of a traditional dried fig–extra virgin olive oil preparation. Fifty undergraduate students from the Faculty of Science, University of Derna, Libya, underwent serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] measurement using a commercial ELISA kit and completed a demographic and lifestyle questionnaire. Vitamin D deficiency was detected in 70% of participants. Ten vitamin D-deficient participants who agreed to comply with the intervention consumed one tablespoon containing one olive-oil-soaked dried fig with the accompanying oil each morning on an empty stomach for 30 consecutive days. Mean serum 25(OH)D increased from 8.43 ± 4.89 ng/mL before intervention to 24.13 ± 3.55 ng/mL after intervention (P < 0.001), with individual increases ranging from 47% to 750%; 9 of 10 participants reached concentrations of at least 20 ng/mL. No statistically significant associations were observed between serum 25(OH)D and residence, skin color, sunlight exposure, or chronic disease. These findings indicate a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and an association between the traditional preparation and improved serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Because the study lacked a control group and included a small intervention sample, larger randomized controlled trials are required before causal or therapeutic conclusions can be drawn.