Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Improve Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women

A new study claims that Vitamin D supplements are not as beneficial for postmenopausal women as believed earlier. The researchers reveal that compared to calcium supplements, Vitamin D does not reduce bone turnover in post menopausal women.

Older women above the age of 50 pop in calcium and Vitamin D supplements in the hope of maintaining strong bones. The new study explored the supplements in order to determine which offer the most benefits to older women and what keeps their bones strong. For this study, they focused on Vitamin D as well as Calcium supplements in postmenopausal women.

After the age of 30 the bone mass in women gradually declines and this process accelerates after menopause. The body's natural process of breaking down old bones is termed as bone turnover. This is quick in younger people but with age, the body cannot replace bones.

"Vitamin D and calcium interact to suppress bone turnover by decreasing parathyroid hormone levels. This can be beneficial in women who are vitamin D deficient. In women who already are receiving the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, however, the study found there was no advantage to adding a vitamin D supplement," the study's lead author, John Aloia, MD, Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, NY, said in a news release.

The placebo controlled study was conducted on 159 postmenopausal women who were further divided into four groups in which one group was given a combination of Vitamin D as well as calcium, the second group received 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, the third group received 4,000 IU of Vitamin D daily and the fourth group received placebos.

The researchers measured the bone turnover markers in order to measure the effect of each supplements on the subjects. Over six months they measured bone turnover markers like parathyroid hormone levels in the blood. Out of the total number of participants just 120 women completed the test.

On examining the result, the researchers noticed a major decline in bone turnover markers in those women who consumed calcium supplements. However, they noticed no difference in the bone turnover markers in those consuming Vitamin D supplements, but the supplements did lower the parathyroid hormone levels.

Through this study the researchers highlight that Vitamin D supplements offer no benefit but Calcium supplements do have an effect.

The study was published in Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).