Health News: Vitamin D Supplements Not Needed By Healthy Adults For Osteoporosis Prevention

Taking vitamin D supplements is one of the suggested ways to prevent bone weakening or osteoporosis in adults, but a new study proves otherwise.

A group of researchers led by Ian Reid of the University of Auckland Bone Research Group concluded in a report published in The Lancet journal that vitamin D supplements have no significant effect on healthy adults with normal levels of the vitamin in their body.

"Most healthy adults do not need vitamin D supplements. Our data suggest that the targeting of low-dose vitamin D supplements only to individuals who are likely to be deficient could free up substantial resources that could be better used elsewhere in healthcare," Reid said in a statement.

 "This systematic review provides very little evidence of an overall benefit of vitamin D supplementation on bone density. Continuing widespread use of vitamin D for osteoporosis prevention in community-dwelling adults without specific risk factors for vitamin D deficiency seems inappropriate," the researchers added.

Reid and his colleagues, Mark Bolland and Andrew Grey, conducted a total of 23 studies that had 4,082 participants, with 92 percent of them being women who are 59 years old on average.

The studies did not prove there were any significant effects to people taking vitamin D supplements in a span of two years, aside from the minimal 0.8 percent increase in bone density at the femoral neck, which is not clinically significant, according to the group of researchers.

"In North America and Europe particularly, more than half the adult population have their vitamin D level assessed and take vitamin D supplements. Some advocates have suggested that the indicator level for needing vitamin D supplements has been quite high," Reid said. "We believe that vitamin D supplements are only indicated for people with very low levels, such as those who are frail, are confined rest-home residents, or women who are veiled, and some dark skinned people."