A new major clinical trial has findings that might change the way you think about the health effects of vitamin D on bones. Research from the Queen Mary University of London and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has revealed that vitamin D supplements might not make bones stronger or prevent fractures in children with a vitamin D deficiency. These results challenge widespread beliefs about the impact of vitamin D on bone health.
About one in three children suffer at least one bone fracture before they turn 18, and this can affect their health and quality of life. Vitamin D supplements have been thought to possibly improve bone strength due to their role in promoting bone mineralization. However, until this latest study, no clinical trials had been conducted to test whether vitamin D supplements could actually prevent bone fractures in children.
The study involved 8,851 children aged 6–13 living in Mongolia, a country where vitamin D deficiency is common and fractures are a significant problem. Over a period of three years, the children received weekly vitamin D supplementation. Results revealed that while the supplements were effective in boosting vitamin D levels to normal, they did not have an effect on fracture risk or bone strength.
These findings are likely to change how scientists, doctors, and public health specialists think about vitamin D supplements and bone health. The study authors point out that the importance of vitamin D for preventing rickets should not be ignored, however, and that UK government guidance recommending a daily intake of 400 IU vitamin D remains important and should still be followed.
We will be on the lookout for more information on this study as it becomes available. Check out the full article here.