Vitamin D/Calcium for Bones
How much vitamin D and calcium should we take for bone health? Are supplements needed?
We typically screen for osteoporosis with a bone mineral density scan for women when they turn 65, and younger women at increased risk, per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force current guidelines. When someone has osteoporosis, there are a variety of treatment recommendations, sometimes varying according to who constructed them, but generally involve taking vitamin D (800–1,000 units/day) and calcium (1,000-1,200 mg/day), ideally through dietary intake; otherwise, by supplements. One example of treatment recommendations is here.
A common question is what women without osteoporosis should take to prevent it, especially as far as supplements go. The link immediately above recommends the same vitamin D and calcium supplements, but the evidence does not support that.
A new review in JAMA (online May 1, 2024) looked at long-term data from the Woman's Health Initiative (WHI). 36,282 women enrolled in the calcium and vitamin D supplementation trial were followed for up to 20 years. Among other goals, "Calcium and vitamin D supplements were studied in the WHI because previously they had been tested primarily in populations with osteoporosis or low bone mineral density, and no prior randomized controlled trial had evaluated the benefits and risks of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation among postmenopausal women with typical fracture risk."
After reviewing long-term data, the researchers concluded:
