Yet again, 800 IU of vitamin D was found to be barely enough to help bones – Lancet Oct 2013

The study:

• Ignored how much vitamin D was given - most of the studies used < 800 IU.
• Ignored if vitamin D2 vs Vitamin D3 was used - Vitamin D2 has far less benefit, and sometimes decreases the D3 levels
• Ignored how often the vitamin D dose was given - they included studies which used annual doses
• Ignored if Calcium or other cofactors were given
  • Only 5 of the 23 studies used >800 IU of vitamin D3 with Calcium
• 6 studies actually found a benefit
  • but these benefits were cancelled out after averaging with the D2, no Calcium and low D3 studies

Amazing titles for the articles resulting from this single study

1. Bad news for osteoporosis sufferers: Vitamin D supplements 'do not help bone health'
2. Healthy adults may not need vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis (UPI)
3. Latest word on vitamin D supplements is “No” (American Council for Science and Health)   far beyond bone mineral density
4. Meta-analysis indicates widespread use of vitamin D supplements to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults unjustified
5. More Evidence Against Vitamin D To Build Bones In Middle Age (NPR)
6. Most people can ditch vitamin D supplements - research   far beyond bone mineral density
7. New Clinical Metastudy Finds Vitamin D No Help to Middle Age Bones
8. New Study: Vitamin D Pills Don’t Strengthen Healthy Bones (AARP)
9. No bone boost from Vitamin D: Study finds supplements are waste of time for women trying to prevent osteoporosis
10. No sign that vitamin D pills help aging bones, researchers say
11. No Sign That Vitamin D Supplements Help Aging Bones: Study
12. Osteoporosis Prevention: Vitamin D Supplements 'Do Not Strengthen Bones' (Huffpost)
13. Questionable Benefits Of Vitamin D   far beyond bone mineral density
14. Questions raised over vit D supplements   far beyond bone mineral density
15. Review questions need for vitamin D supplements   far beyond bone mineral density
16. Research takes shine off vitamin D   far beyond bone mineral density
17. Researchers write off benefits of vitamin D   far beyond bone mineral density
18. Review questions use of vitamin D in osteoporosis
19. Supplements Of Vitamin D Won't Help Prevent Osteoporosis
20. Study Finds Vitamin D Supplements Do Little To Improve Bone Health
21. Study Reports Vitamin D Ineffective for Bone Health
22. Study: Vitamin D Supplements Don’t Protect Against Fractures
23. Use of Vitamin D to Treat Osteoporosis Unnecessary for Healthy Adults
24. Vit D fails to boost bone density: study
25. Vitamin D doesn't aid the prevention of osteoporosis
26. Vitamin D for Bone Mineral Density? Little Evidence of Benefit
27. Vitamin D for bones a waste of time?
28. Vitamin D Ineffective for Preventing Osteoporosis    NYT
29. Vitamin D 'no effect' on the healthy   far beyond bone mineral density
30. Vitamin D supplements "no help" to healthy   far beyond bone mineral density
31. Vitamin D not necessary to tackle osteoporosis - study
32. Vitamin D Not So Great for Building Bones in Middle Aged Adults After All
33. Vitamin D pills doesnt improve bone mineral density in adults
34. Vitamin D pills doesn't improve bone mineral density in adults
35. Vitamin D pills don't prevent fractures, research suggests (Consumer Reports)
36. Vitamin D pills' effect on healthy bones queried
37. Vitamin D pills 'unnecessary' for healthy older people   far beyond bone mineral density
38. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent osteoporosis is not warranted, study concludes (BMJ)
39. Vitamin D supplements at any dose don't appear to offer much benefit in keeping bones strong    Unlikely to have read even the abstract
40. Vitamin D supplements do not prevent osteoporosis
41. Vitamin D supplements–improves bone health or a waste of money?
42. Vitamin D Supplements Ineffective in Osteoporosis Protection
43. Vitamin D supplements may be waste of money (YouTube video)   far beyond bone mineral density
44. Vitamin D supplements may not strengthen bones
45. Vitamin D supplements may not increase bone density (Reuters, NYT, The Doctor's Channel)
46. Vitamin D Supplements Not Beneficial on Healthy Adults, A Study Finds   far beyond bone mineral density
47. Vitamin D supplements "no help" to healthy   far beyond bone mineral density
48. Vitamin D supplements not needed by healthy adults   far beyond bone mineral density
49. Vitamin D Supplements Not Needed, Doctors Say   far beyond bone mineral density
50. Vitamin D supplements not recommended for healthy adults   far beyond bone mineral density
51. Vitamin D Supplements Not Staving Off Osteoporosis
52. Vitamin D Supplements Provide Very Low Bone Benefits
53. Vitamin D supplements won't help bones in healthy adults, review concludes (CBS News)
54. Vitamin D Supplements: Bone Health or Bogus?
55. Vitamin D’s aid for bones doubted
56. When It Comes to Bone, Vitamin D Supplementation Falls Short NEJM Journal watch
57. Why I’m leaving the vitamin church (said she was taking 1000 milligrams (not micrograms) daily
58. Will Vitamin D Prevent Osteoporosis – Probably Not

My guess as to why these titles were created

1. People like to read articles that support their world view: i.e. that vitamins do not help
   Note: there are many different world views: medicine, sports, crime, religion, global warming, raising children, race, war, . . . .
2. Article writers like to have lots of readers ( more readers ==> more advertising revenue)
3. Article writers often do not have the time to critique the science in studies in any case.

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Effects of vitamin D supplements on bone mineral density: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 11 October 2013, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61647-5C
Prof Ian R Reid MD a b i.reid@auckland.ac.nz , Mark J Bolland PhD a, Andrew Grey MD a b

Background: Findings from recent meta-analyses of vitamin D supplementation without co-administration of calcium have not shown fracture prevention, possibly because of insufficient power or inappropriate doses, or because the intervention was not targeted to deficient populations. Despite these data, almost half of older adults (older than 50 years) continue to use these supplements. Bone mineral density can be used to detect biologically significant effects in much smaller cohorts. We investigated whether vitamin D supplementation affects bone mineral density.

Methods: We searched Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Database, from inception to July 8, 2012, for trials assessing the effects of vitamin D (D3 or D2, but not vitamin D metabolites) on bone mineral density. We included all randomised trials comparing interventions that differed only in vitamin D content, and which included adults (average age >20 years) without other metabolic bone diseases. We pooled data with a random effects meta-analysis with weighted mean differences and 95% CIs reported. To assess heterogeneity in results of individual studies, we used Cochran's Q statistic and the I2 statistic. The primary endpoint was the percentage change in bone mineral density from baseline.

Findings: Of 3930 citations identified by the search strategy, 23 studies (mean duration 23·5 months, comprising 4082 participants, 92% women, average age 59 years) met the inclusion criteria. 19 studies had mainly white populations. Mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was less than 50 nmol/L in eight studies (n=1791). In ten studies (n=2294), individuals were given vitamin D doses less than 800 IU per day. Bone mineral density was measured at one to five sites (lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, trochanter, total body, or forearm) in each study, so 70 tests of statistical significance were done across the studies. There were

• six findings of significant benefit,
• two of significant detriment, and the
• rest were non-significant.

Only one study showed benefit at more than one site. Results of our meta-analysis showed a small benefit at the femoral neck (weighted mean difference 0·8%, 95% CI 0·2—1·4) with heterogeneity among trials (I2=67%, p<0·00027). No effect at any other site was reported, including the total hip. We recorded a bias toward positive results at the femoral neck and total hip.

Interpretation: Continuing widespread use of vitamin D for osteoporosis prevention in community-dwelling adults without specific risk factors for vitamin D deficiency seems to be inappropriate.

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PDF (with comment/editorial is attached at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Osteoporosis and vitamin D
• Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium, etc increase bone density when taking together– Jan 2012
• Vitamin K-2 (180 ug MK-7) helped both bone density and strength – RCT March 2013
• 4000 IU Vitamin D intervention helped elderly bones – March 2010
• Both Vitamin D and Calcium are needed to reduce bone loss – RCT Sept 2013
• 8X higher Osteoporosis risk if high level of vitamin A, vitamin D important too – Feb 2013
• European Osteo group recommends 20-50 ng of vitamin D – Jan 2013
• Osteoporsis doctors need to prescribe 800 IU of vitamin D - study proposed of how to tell them – May 2012
• Overview Fractures and vitamin D
• Overview Fractures and Falls and Vitamin D
• Half as many hip fractures if take Calcium, hormones, and a tiny amount of vitamin D – July 2013
• Professor who concluded that vitamin D (800 IU) does not help bones got 324,000 dollar prize- Nov 2015

See also web

• Comment on the Lancet article Nutraingredients
  In those trials which used both Calcium and Vitamin D (half of the trials) there was a 11% reduction in hip fractures
• Vitamin D Supplementation: Who, and How Much? Medscape Jan 2014
  Our commentator has given this study a ranking of "Changes Clinical Practice," with the conclusion that vitamin D supplementation should not be prescribed to individuals without risk factors

Comment by VitaminDWiki: It has been noticed for many years that

1. Often need more than 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 to PREVENT problems with bone health
2. Often need >4,000 IU of vitamin D3 to TREAT bone health problems
3. Calcium, Vitamin K-2, and Magnesium also improve bone health: vitamin D monotherapy is not enough
4. Too much Vitamin A reduces bone health
5. Enough Vitamin D3 reduces fractures: by improving bone health AND improving muscle reaction time so as to reduce falls
6. Once the bone bridges have been broken down, we should not expect to be able to rebuild them.
   Increasing the bone mass makes the bone denser, not necessarily stronger