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Vitamin D deficiency is common. This is a problem, because its insufficient level causes health problems – vitamin D affects the functioning of almost every body system. That is why doctors have been calling for its regular supplementation for years. The latest results of scientific research, however, can confuse a lot in these recommendations. It turns out that reaching for a dietary supplement with vitamin D may not necessarily help us stay in good shape.
- The prestigious journal “New England Journal of Medicine – Endocrinology” describes the latest results of research on the influence of vitamin D on, among others, bones
- Over 25 people participated in the study. healthy people, although some were found to be deficient in the “sun vitamin”
- They found that there was no significant difference between placebo and vitamin D in terms of effects on bone health
- Researchers suggest that vitamin supplementation may therefore be ineffective
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage
A groundbreaking study?
Research suggests that people should stop taking vitamin D supplements to prevent serious illness or prolong life —This is the verdict in the latest editorial by the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine – Endocrinology, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals.
Doctors Steven R. Cummings and Clifford Rosen titled this editorial “VITAL Findings – A Decisive Verdict on Vitamin D Supplementation”, which can be translated into: “VITAL results – a decisive judgment on vitamin D supplementation”.
VITAL is a federally funded multi-year study conducted in the United States on the effectiveness of taking vitamin D supplements. It is important because it was conducted over several years and is characterized by high-quality methodology: randomized, controlled, for over 20 people. volunteers, and therefore a very large number of patients, and by administration of test substances and by placebo.
It concerned generally healthy patients, although in its last installment, concerning the possible prophylaxis of bone diseases, the participants included people with low levels of 25-dehydroxy vitamin D in the plasma, which is considered a deficiency in the body (the study showed that they did not benefit from taking vitamin D3, even in combination with calcium, compared to placebo).
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As the editors of NEJM recall in their editorial, the VITAL study follows a 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendation that recommended a generally healthy population to consume 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D per day to protect bone health and overall health. At the same time, the IOM recommended that large clinical trials with high methodology be carried out on the effectiveness of this intervention. VITAL is just that.
Its last edition covered a total of over 25 thousand. men aged 50 and more and women aged 55 and more, who were divided into four groups:
- taking vitamin D3 (2000 IU) and omega-3 acids (1 g);
- taking vitamin D3 (2000 IU) and a placebo (a dummy substance);
- taking placebo and omega-3 fatty acids (1 g);
- taking a double placebo.
17 thousand the participants had a blood test, and everyone’s health was checked annually.
Vitamin D does not affect bone health
Over five years of observation and research, it has been found that there is no significant difference between placebo and vitamin D in terms of effects on bone health. There is only one interpretation of such results: in the analyzed group, vitamin D did not work. Worse still, the results of the rest of the VITAL studies on health problems other than bone disease were similar. The authors of the editorial did not ignore this fact.
«The results of the analyzes from the VITAL study, published in journals with a system of independent reviewers, showed that Vitamin D supplementation does not prevent cancer, coronary heart disease, falls, it does not improve cognitive functions, it does not reduce atrial fibrillation, does not change body composition, does not reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, does not help after strokes, does not reduce macular degeneration with age or pain knees»- we read.
You can order a vitamin D metabolite 25 (OH) test from Medonet Market.
Why Vitamin D?
Why has vitamin D3 become a star when it comes to recommendations for its supplementation?
Almost every cell in our body has its receptors, it plays a very important role in the body, and it has been observed that in people who suffer from various diseases, the level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in the blood serum (which is considered an indicator that controls and monitors its levels in blood). body) is lower than in people who are healthy.
Perhaps this is more complicated than we thought so far. The editors of NEJM believe that the common checking of this indicator should be abandoned, because perhaps it is a correlation and not a cause-and-effect relationship, or the low indicator is a result of the disease. They also remind you that VITAL is not the first high methodology study to suggest that vitamin D supplementation is ineffective.
Should You Stop Taking Vitamin D?
Our research focuses on whether free vitamin D levels or genetic variation in vitamin D absorption, metabolism, or receptor function will provide information on individuals who may benefit from vitamin D supplementation for musculoskeletal health, Prof. Meryl S. LeBoff, author of the article and director of the Skeletal Health and Osteoporosis Center. “The results of a large clinical trial do not support the use of vitamin D supplements to reduce fractures in generally healthy men and women in the United States,” she added.
What about other indications? It depends. An expert discussion will certainly begin now and it is expected to be stormy. Especially since any research, even those with high-quality methodology, has limitations. Here, for example, the effects of supplementation in sick people have not been studied. One may also wonder whether the period of observation and analyzes in the VITAL study was sufficient. However, we will have to wait for a possible change in the recommendations of medical societies.
Justyna Wojteczek, Zdrowie.pap.pl