Vitamin D Supplements Not Enough To Strengthen Children’s Bone Health: Study

Vitamin D is vital for bone health as it helps in strengthening them. In the absence of this vitamin, our bodies will not be effectively able to absorb the calcium, which is essential for good bone health. People who suffer from bone disorders like rickets are often advised to take vitamin D supplements. These supplements play an important role in maintaining calcium levels in the human body. Recently, Queen Mary University of London and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health led a study regarding these supplements. This study concluded that these supplements do not increase bone strength or prevent bone fractures in children between 6-13 years who have vitamin D deficiency. These two institutions have conducted a clinical trial regarding this study and came up with this conclusion. These findings have challenged the widely-held perceptions relating to the impact of vitamin D on bone health.

This study has been published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. The study states that about 8,800 school-going children, aged 6 to 13 years, were included in this research. Their bones did not get stronger, nor did the risk of fractures in their bones reduced even after consuming doses of vitamin D supplements. According to researchers, this happened because the supplement could not combine with calcium in the children’s bodies. It hence, failed to provide the desired benefits. The doses of vitamin D supplement failed to have any desired impact on the children aged three years as well. They were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. Surprisingly, in children not given this dose, the level of vitamin D was high in comparison to the ones who consumed the supplements.

According to the researchers, vitamin D supplements yield the maximum benefits in the bodies of adults. It also helps them prevent fractures. These supplements also have the added advantage of strengthening the bones of adults, when consumed with calcium. Fatty meat and fish oil are the best sources of vitamin D. Sunlight exposure is the primary method of boosting serum vitamin D levels, which accounts for numerous health benefits. Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with protection against cancer development, including melanoma.