[Vitamin D - What is the current advice?]

Abstract

Introduction: We have gained new insights into vitamin D. High quality studies of over 36,000 people have shown that daily vitamin D supplementation of 800 IU reduces the risk of hip fracture and falling in older adults with vitamin D deficiency and existing falling risk. We have also learnt that vitamin D supplementation in healthy middle-aged and elderly people without vitamin D deficiency and without osteoporosis offers no additional protection. Also, large intermittent bolus doses of vitamin D either show no protection against fractures or even lead to an increase in fracture risk and fall risk in vulnerable elderly people and are therefore obsolete. In recent years, however, large randomised studies on daily vitamin D supplementation with 2000 IU in healthy people without vitamin D deficiency at the age of 50 (VITAL) and at the age of 70 (DO-HEALTH) have shown a benefit on the immune system in terms of reducing advanced cancers, cancer mortality and autoimmune diseases.