Vitamin- D may not boost bone health: Study

Melbourne, Oct. 5: Intake of Vitamin- D supplements may not prevent fractures or falls, or improve bone mineral density in adults, a large- scale study claims.

The meta- analysis of 81 randomised trials, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal, also found no differences in the effects of higher versus lower doses of Vitamin- D.

Researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand conclude that there is little justification to use Vitamin- D supplements to maintain or improve musculoskeletal health.

The exception is for the prevention of rare conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia in high risk groups, which can occur due to Vitamin- D deficiency after a prolonged lack of exposure to sunshine, they said.

Vitamin- D supplements have long been recommended for older people to treat or prevent osteoporosis, with some early evidence suggesting benefits for bone health.

However, recent largescale reviews have reported no effect of VitaminD supplementation on bone mineral density, falls or fractures.

The researchers say that clinical guidelines that continue to recommend Vitamin- D supplementation for bone health should be changed to reflect the best available evidence.

“Since the last major review of evidence in 2014, more than 30 randomised controlled trials on Vitamin- D and bone health have been published, nearly doubling the evidence base available,” said Mark J. Bolland from the University of Auckland.

“Our meta- analysis finds that Vitamin- D does not prevent fractures, falls or improve bone mineral density, whether at high or low dose, said Bolland.