A new study that looks at the value of taking vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplements supports earlier findings that routine use of these supplements has little if any value for healthy people. You should try to get your vitamin D naturally, such as through exposure to sunlight and eating fatty fish and mushrooms
Specifically, this VITAL study found that people who took 2,000 IU of vitamin D, often in addition to other supplements, did not reduce their risk of bone fracture over five years. Among the 1,551 who took either a vitamin D supplement or a placebo, the likelihood of getting a bone fracture were about equal. In other words, fracture rates were similar.
The study also looked at omega-3 supplements and whether they helped with people’s bone health and physical abilities and found no benefit whatsoever. People taking the omega-3 supplement and people taking the placebo had similar bone mineral density, “bone strength, cortical thickness, and polar stress strength.” The omega-3 supplement also did not appear to affect people’s physical abilities. including the strength of people’s grip, the speed at which they walked and their balance, among other abilities.
This study found no benefits of taking these supplements on reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease.
In short this study finds no important preventive effects from vitamin D and omega-3 supplements. Put differently, taking these supplements is likely a waste of money.
The study authors said they could not generalize, based on the study, to older adults.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- How best to get vitamin D in your diet
- Are fish oil supplements just another red herring?
- Exercise can help an aging brain
- Aerobic exercise may be best medicine for your brain and body
- If you’re making a Medicare choice, don’t trust the insurance agent
Leave a Reply