New Research Challenges Long-Standing Advice on Vitamin D and Calcium Supplements
A recent study has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of vitamin D and calcium supplements in preventing fractures and falls among older adults. The research, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that these supplements offer little to no benefit when it comes to reducing the risk of broken bones or falls. This finding could prompt a major shift in public health recommendations, particularly in the UK.
The study analyzed data from 69 clinical trials involving over 153,900 adults. Researchers compared the effects of calcium supplements, vitamin D, or both combined against a placebo or no treatment at all. The results were striking: none of the supplements showed a significant reduction in fracture or fall risk.
This conclusion directly contradicts long-standing advice from the National Health Service (NHS), which has recommended that older adults take vitamin D to support bone health. The NHS also advises those who do not get enough calcium through their diet to take daily supplements. Every year, the NHS spends over £111 million on vitamin D prescriptions alone.
Despite this, experts agree that calcium and vitamin D are essential for maintaining strong bones when consumed naturally through food. Calcium is found in dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt, as well as leafy green vegetables such as kale and broccoli, and oily fish. Vitamin D is primarily obtained through sunlight exposure, with smaller amounts coming from oily fish and egg yolks.
However, there has been growing skepticism about the benefits of taking these nutrients as supplements. Many people take daily tablets, but the new study shows that they may not be effective in preventing fractures or falls.
Lead author Olivier Massé, a clinical pharmacologist, said: “Our review found little to no benefits from use of calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation on the prevention of fractures and falls.”
The researchers are now urging the NHS to re-evaluate its recommendations on these supplements. They argue that the money spent on pills would be better used on exercise programs and lifestyle interventions, which have been proven to reduce the risk of fractures.
“Apart from exercise and drug treatments for osteoporosis, few interventions have been consistently shown to reduce the risk of fractures,” the researchers warned. “Clinicians, guideline panels, and regulatory agencies should re-evaluate their general recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplementation in light of current evidence.”
The team also highlighted that calcium supplements can cause side effects such as bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain, and should only be taken when necessary.
However, some experts caution that removing supplement advice could have negative consequences. Public health nutritionist Dr Emma Derbyshire argues that supplements are crucial for people who are severely deficient in vitamin D and calcium. She points out that one in six adults and a fifth of children are believed to be severely deficient in vitamin D, while calcium deficiency is also a concern among young women.
Dr Derbyshire said: “With vitamin D intakes from food well below recommended levels and a substantial proportion of young people already showing deficiency, alongside notable calcium intakes below safe thresholds, there is a clear and ongoing public health concern.”
She added that these issues are especially relevant in older adults, where inadequate intake can accelerate age-related declines in bone health. “Those with dietary shortfalls such as vitamin D and calcium, should carry on bridging gaps with supplementation.”
Dr Richard Abel, a musculoskeletal expert at Imperial College London, emphasized that the message is not to stop taking calcium and vitamin D altogether. “The message is that routine supplements should not be mistaken for proper fracture prevention. Osteoporosis is a serious, preventable and treatable disease.”
He stressed the importance of identifying individuals who are genuinely at high risk and may benefit from supplementation. “The best way to help patients is to identify the people who are genuinely at high risk and those who may benefit from calcium and vitamin D because they are deficient or have low intake, and those who need proven osteoporosis medicines because their fracture risk is high.”
