Vitamin D Not Effective for Older Women? Supplements Don't Protect Bones

Experts and pharmaceutical companies often endorse taking vitamin D supplements to lessen the risk of osteoporosis or bone problems in women. This practice has been so common that people try as much as possible to incorporate intake of supplements in their daily lives. However, a new research is disputing this claim, stating that taking high dosages of this kind of supplements may not be as effective as everyone believes.

CBS News reports that according to a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the consumption of Vitamin D supplements especially among older women may not benefit their bones or muscle development.

Dr. Karen Hansen, author of the research and associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin, explained that while increased dosage can help in calcium absorption, it has been discovered that it is only by a meager one percent and proves to have no gain in bone density in areas such as the hip and spine. Furthermore, the team has not established any benefit from Vitamin D for older women, whether the dosage is high or low.

The team has tested their study on 230 participants who are grouped into three and have been given a placebo that they need to consume daily, describes MedPage Today. The placebo varies from 800 IU Vitamin D3 to 50,000 IU Vitamin D3. The researchers have discovered that the group with the highest intake has increased their calcium absorption after a year but it has been too minimal that the findings are deemed insignificant. Furthermore, there has been no observed difference in the number of falls or functional status between the subjects.

Dr. Deborah Grady from the University of California San Francisco explained that the optimal treatment goal for Vitamin D deficiency has been an on-going debate in the medical world, some arguing that the amount should be maintained above 20 ng/ml, while others state 30 ng/ml is the correct amount. Dr. Grady concluded that cholecalciferol, at whatever dosage, cannot help improve bone density, muscle strength and mass, or fall rate in older women, adding that longer treatment may result to better outcomes of which no data has been established yet.

Health Day writes that based on the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, postmenopausal women have a greater risk of developing bone-related disorders like osteoporosis, with half of these women more than likely to experience bone fracture due to low bone mass, muscle mass and bone density.

Dr. Hansen said her team's study will not be the definitive word on vitamin D benefits, but Dr. Rita Redberg, editor of JAMA Internal Medicine and an associate professor of medicine from the University of California, thought otherwise. She said that with this study, women will no longer have to undergo vitamin D blood tests and take supplements that can provide no benefits.