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Vitamin D supplements don't improve bone health, major study finds

Vitamin D supplements do not improve bone mineral density or prevent fractures or falls in adults, finds a large study that advises health professionals to stop recommending the supplements to most patients.

[...] "Our meta-analysis finds that vitamin D does not prevent fractures, falls or improve bone mineral density, whether at high or low dose," lead author Dr. Mark J. Bolland, associate professor at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, said in a statement. The findings add to previous research suggesting that vitamin D supplements do not prevent disease for the majority.

The research, published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology [DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(18)30265-1] [DX], analyzed data from 81 randomized controlled trials -- involving more than 53,000 people -- that studied whether the over-the-counter supplement helped in fractures, falls and bone density. Most studies included women over the age of 65. The team concluded that vitamin D does not prevent fractures or falls, or have a meaningful effect on bone mineral density, concluding that there is little justification in taking them to "maintain or improve musculoskeletal health," adding that there is no need for more trials to explore this.

But the research also concludes the supplement is helpful in preventing rare conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia in high risk groups, which can occur after a prolonged lack of exposure to sunshine, resulting in deficiency.

See also: Vitamin D pills - what's the truth?

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