Scientists from Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health, concluded that vitamin D supplements do not improve bone strength or reduce the risk of fractures in children with vitamin D deficiency. The study results were published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
In the study, researchers instructed more than 8,000 schoolchildren aged 6-13 living in Mongolia (a region with particularly high rates of fractures and widespread vitamin D deficiency) to take vitamin D supplements for 3 years.
More than 95% of the subjects had a deficiency of this substance in their bodies at the start of the study. At the end of the intervention period, scientists updated the health status of some subjects and assessed the strength of their bones using ultrasound, gazeta.ru writes. It turned out that taking the supplements had no effect on either the bone strength of children and adolescents or the potential risk of fractures. Moreover, during a three-year experiment, the deficiency of this substance in the body was eliminated. The lack of benefit may be due to the fact that participants did not take calcium at the same time as vitamin D.
Children who were found to have rickets during screening for the study were excluded from participation because it would be unethical to offer them a placebo. The results are only relevant for children with low vitamin D levels who have not developed complications.
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2024-03-04 21:18:20
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