More than half of American women older than 60 take vitamin D and calcium supplements, but the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said recently that they’re probably wasting their money.
In a new recommendations from the federal government’s expert panel on preventive medicine, the task force says that most postmenopausal women should not take vitamin D and calcium to reduce their risk of bone fractures. The dosages assessed were 400 international units of vitamin D3 and 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day.
The conclusions are based on an analysis of six randomized trials designed to study the health effects of vitamin D and calcium supplements. The largest of these trials was the Women’s Health Initiative study, which involved more than 36,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79. That study found no statistically significant difference in the risk of hip or other fractures among women taking the supplements and those who took placebos.
However, the analysis also made clear that this level of vitamin D and calcium supplementation increases the risk of kidney stones. The added risk is small, but considering the lack of demonstrated benefits, even a small risk can’t be justified, the panel said.