Osteoporosis affects both sides of the gender line however it is women at menopause that are being affected in ever increasing numbers as we continue to live longer. While the world spent $1.18 billion USD in 2023 on vitaminD supplements.
Yes, $1.18 BILLION USD.
There is much talk re these supplements to prevent fractures....and everyone likes to believe in a miracle vitamin pill that helps them feel "they are doing something"!
Both of these topics are getting continued air time. So, am I doing enough to be well?
Simply stated, doing that something can just be about what we eat.
During the research and writing of one of my papers for my masters, a 2017 meta-analysis that included 51,145 ( thats a pretty big cohort!! ) participants concluded that:
“...the use of supplements that included calcium, vitamin D, or both compared with placebo or no treatment was not associated with a lower risk of fractures among community-dwelling older adults.
These findings do not support the routine use of these supplements in community-dwelling older people".
RATHER:...
"We have created another pseudo-disease that is encouraged by vitamin companies, patient groups, food manufacturers public health departments and charities".
TO ADD FURTHER WEIGHT:
Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London states that:
“Vitamin D, despite its star status, would not be called a vitamin today, as the doses needed are too large, the body can synthesise it from skin, and it is a steroid precursor.
Instead of relying on this impostor, healthy people should get vitamin D from small doses of sunshine every day as well as from food, such as fish, oil, mushrooms and dairy products”.
In summary from 2023:
Vitamin D supplements do not improve bone density, and they do not reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Vitamin D supplements don’t prevent heart disease, weight gain, mood disorders, multiple sclerosis, or metabolic disorders.
Vitamin D supplements (in the most recent study, involving 26,000 men and women followed for more than five years) don’t do anything to prevent bone fractures.
Further: The long-anticipated results of VITAL (published New England Journal of Medicine), now clearly demonstrate that daily supplementation with 2000 IU of vitamin D3 does not reduce the risk of total, hip, or non-vertebral fractures. Subgroup analyses showed a similar lack of effect on fracture risk according to sex, age, race or ethnic group, body-mass index, and other characteristics.
So start doing that something, get engaged with your well being , undertake some regular exercise, sunshine , eat well and keep those bones in good shape ........and put those $$ towards quality food.
Keep in mind that research and science are always evolving.
The vitamin D debate A half hour informative conversation / debate with professor Spector and Dr John Campbell.
Association Between Calcium or Vitamin D Supplementation and Fracture Incidence in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Want the detail? read that study from this link.
Weird Science a short informative article from a previous blog about Mushrooms and how they can provide vitamin D.