Vitamin D supplements don't help bone health, major study concludes

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/04/vitamin-d-supplements-dont-help-bone-health-major-study-concludes

Vitamin D supplements don't help bone health, major study concludes

Biggest ever review of evidence recommends the government ditch its advice to take them throughout winter

Sarah Boseley Health editor

Thu 4 Oct 2018 23.30 BST

Vitamin D supplements do nothing for bone health and the government should ditch its advice that everyone should take them throughout the winter months, according to the authors of the biggest review of the evidence ever carried out.

The findings challenge the established view of vitamin D and will dismay the many people who believe a daily dose of it is doing them good. But the large meta-analysis, the authors of which compiled 81 separate studies to come to the most robust possible conclusions, found there was no evidence to justify taking vitamin D supplements for bone health, except for those at high risk of a few rare conditions.
(snip)

The new meta-analysis is published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal and led by the longstanding experts on vitamin D Profs Mark Bolland and Andrew Grey from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and Prof Alison Avenell of Aberdeen University.

Bolland said things have changed since 2014, when the last major review of the evidence was carried out. In the last four years, “more than 30 randomised controlled trials on vitamin D and bone health have been published, nearly doubling the evidence base available,” he said. “Our meta-analysis finds that vitamin D does not prevent fractures, falls or improve bone mineral density, whether at high or low dose.”
(snip)

The studies that have been done are mostly in older people who could be at risk of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease), but Avenell said there is no evidence of benefit for any adults – apart from those few who are at high risk of osteomalacia, a form of rickets in adults.
(snip)

According to the SACN, there have been suggestions that vitamin D can help with a number of other “extra-skeletal” health issues, including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, infectious diseases, neuropsychological functioning, oral health and age-related macular degeneration, although the did not find convincing evidence for any of these. Gallagher believes studies now taking place will answer those questions.

“Within three years we might have that answer because there are approximately 100,000 participants currently enrolled in randomised, placebo-controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation,” he wrote. “I look forward to those studies giving us the last word on vitamin D.”
(snip)

[nitpicker]

1. Maybe useful for those with low levels of Vitamin D

Martin Hewison, professor of molecular endocrinology at the University of Birmingham, agreed, adding that many trials for vitamin D supplementation have shown it is only effective if individuals are vitamin D-deficient to begin with – but that in this research very few participants started off with low levels of vitamin D.

[Thekaspervote]

2. Low vitamin d is epidemic .. so says the NIH.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068797/

[NickB79]

7. Yes, but not specifically in the US

That study references a lot of studies in the Middle East, not the US or Europe, where vitamin D fortified foods are extremely common.

[samplegirl]

3. I would like to know what does

Help with bone health? I’m high risk as I’m thin and small boned. Dr. wants me to do Reclast infusions. Doing some reading on it.

[in2herbs]

5. Vitamin K2 helps to push calcium into the bone thus making the bones stronger. Vit D is also a

good support for the immune system.

[abbeyco]

4. I take Anastrozole due to breast cancer and

Vitamin D, 6000 to 10k IU has greatly helped with my bone pain. It had been debilitating and within 3-4 days I was able to start getting back to normal. From bone scans, mine haven’t deteriorated at all so I’m all in for Vit D for my health.

[samplegirl]

6. He said mine was very low.

[LeftishBrit]

8. From what I understand...

the evidence is that if you've got enough Vitamin D to start with, taking more is probably not going to make you healthier. However, it is still likely that taking Vitamin D is beneficial to those with vitamin D deficiency.