The study, which was carried out by a University of Auckland research team, involved the analysis of more than one hundred trials. The kiwis’ finding: vitamin D had no visible impact on bone mineral density. In other words, it won’t make your bones any stronger or more resilient to heavy impact.
The study also found that taking vitamin D won’t significantly lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, or cancer.
That led the New Zealand researchers to conclude that “there is little justification for prescribing vitamin D supplements to prevent myocardial infarction or ischaemic heart disease, stroke, or cerebrovascular disease, cancer, or fractures, or to reduce the risk of death in unselected community-dwelling individuals.”
Swedish researcher Karl Michaelsson agrees that there isn’t yet evidence to suggest that healthy adults need to take vitamin D supplements. “The impression that vitamin D is a sunshine vitamin and that increasing doses lead to improved health is far from clear,” Michaelsson said.
Royal College of Peadiatrics and Child Health consultant and senior lecturer Colin Michie agrees. Michie says the study “shows vitamin D has a relevant role to play, but it’s not that important.”
That said, most researchers agree that viamin D can offer visible health benefits for at-risk groups, including pregnant women, the elderly, and infants.
