Vitamin D has previously been credited for its health benefits. However, a recent study has shown that there is an insufficient evidence in recommending Vitamin D supplements, as it cannot be helpful in warding off certain diseases like reducing asthma and improving the bone's health condition. So, which is which? Are Vitamin D supplements helpful or a waste of time?
The Debate On Vitamin D
According to reports released by Daily Mail, it was found that Vitamin D is primarily made in the skin by the action of sunlight. In spring and summer, when the sun is sufficiently strong, this causes to be a main source for most people and any excess we make is stored in the fat and liver. These fat deposits are then steadily depleted during the colder months, which is why the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), a team of independent experts set up by the Government to consider all the available evidence and review the decades-old public guidance on vitamin D.
On the other hand, a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has claimed that there's no proof that supplementation of the said vitamin prevents disease. After the team from the University of Aberdeen and University of Auckland in New Zealand has thoroughly analyzed hundreds of trials involving tens of thousands of patients, it was found that current evidence does not support the use of vitamin D supplementation to prevent disease.
As per Express, the researchers of the new study had claimed that only people with severe vitamin D deficiency may benefit from taking supplements. Instead they suggested those with lacking the vitamin should be advised about sunlight exposure and diet.
Despite this argument that the vitamin is particularly important when it comes to bone health, health experts have highly emphasized that supplementation alone does not improve musculoskeletal outcomes like bone fractures. Ultimately, the SACN recommends 10 micrograms per day, which was known to be relatively low but safe level of supplementation.
