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A major clinical trial involving more than 8,000 children indicates that Vitamin D supplements don’t enhance bone strength or prevent fractures among kids with Vitamin D deficiency. Childhood fractures affect approximately one-third of children before they turn 18, posing a significant global health concern leading to potential years of disability or reduced quality of life.
Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the study challenges widely held beliefs regarding Vitamin D’s impact on bone health.
Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, Associate Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighted the striking absence of any notable effect from consistent and ample Vitamin D supplementation on fracture risk or bone strength in Vitamin D-deficient children. Davaasambuu pointed out the potential influence of calcium alongside Vitamin D, which has shown effectiveness in preventing fractures among adults.
The trial, conducted by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, focused on children in Mongolia, a region with high fracture rates and prevalent Vitamin D deficiency. Over three years, 8,851 children aged 6-13 in Mongolia received weekly Vitamin D supplements orally.
Despite effectively elevating Vitamin D levels to normal ranges in about 95.5% of participants, these supplements didn’t impact fracture risk or bone strength, as measured in a subset of 1,438 participants using quantitative ultrasound.
These findings are likely to prompt a re-evaluation among scientists, doctors, and public health specialists regarding the effects of Vitamin D supplements on bone health.
