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THURSDAY OCTOBER 4, 2018 – Vitamin D supplements have long been touted as a way to improve bone health and eventually prevent osteoporosis, a bone-loving disease, in the elderly .
But a new study says that the benefits of "sun vitamin" supplements fall flat.
A review of previously published studies found that taking high or low doses of vitamin D supplements prevented neither fractures nor falls, nor improved bone density.
Vitamin D is found in very few foods. Sun exposure is one of the main sources of vitamin.
"The use of vitamin D supplements is common, especially in North America," where up to 40% of older people take them, said lead researcher Alison Avenell. She holds a clinical chair in health services research at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
"Most adults do not need to take vitamin D supplements, although they are unlikely to hurt if taken in low doses," she added.
Vitamin D supplements prevent rare diseases, such as rickets in children and osteomalacia (softening of bones) in adults. People at risk of vitamin D deficiency include those with little or no exposure to the sun, such as nursing home residents who stay indoors all the time or those who always cover their skin outside. said Avenell.
There is also evidence that vitamin D helps prevent cancer or heart disease, she added.
"Preserving bone strength involves staying active, not smoking, not being too thin and taking medication for osteoporosis," said Avenell.
On the basis of new findings, Avenell believes that guidelines recommending vitamin D supplements for bone health should be changed.
For the new report, Avenell and colleagues reviewed 81 studies, most of which focused solely on vitamin D, not calcium.
"Calcium supplements alone have a minimal effect on bone mineral density and fractures, and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease," said Avenell.
The only evidence that calcium and vitamin D together prevent fractures comes from a trial in older people with very low levels of vitamin D in retirement homes. But calcium and vitamin D can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, said Avenell.
In addition, most of the studies covered in the new journal included women aged 65 and older who were taking more than 800 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day.
The new study found no significant effect of vitamin D supplementation on reducing fractures, hip fractures or falls.
This type of study, called meta-analysis, tries to find common elements among the previously published studies. This type of research or research is however limited by the differences in methods and conclusions of the different studies analyzed by the researchers. It is therefore possible that the results are not consistent.
Dr. Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital, said this new study should convince doctors that vitamin D supplements play no role in keeping bones healthy, but that 39, they have other advantages.
Previous research suggests that vitamin D, when taken at the same time as calcium, can help prevent some cancers and protect against the decline of aging-related memory and thinking.
"What's important to keep in mind, is that people with low vitamin D content were not represented in this meta-analysis, and that vitamin supplementation D – in fact, a supplement – is still necessary for people with low levels of vitamin D, regardless of their age, "Sood said.
The findings were published online Oct. 4 in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
More information
To learn more about vitamin D, visit the US National Institutes of Health.
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