Vitamin D seems to be significantly beneficial in developing strong and healthy bones. A latest Cochrane Systematic Review suggests that intake of vitamin D supplements by healthy children with normal vitamin D levels does not improve bone density at the hip, lumbar spine, forearm or in the entire body. It is essential that children attain precise bone density for fighting osteoporosis in later life.
It is known that vitamin D enables the body to absorb calcium from food, declines loss of calcium from the body and improves calcium deposition into bones. Apparently bone density is the measure of bone strength and calculates the amount of bone mineral present at different sites. Authors aimed to analyze if increasing vitamin D levels in healthy children enables their bones to share greater amounts of calcium.
Dr. Tania Winzenberg, from the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, Hobart and lead author of the study, shared, “Vitamin D supplementation had no statistically significant effects on bone density at any site in healthy children. There was, however, some indication that children who had low levels of vitamin D in their blood might benefit from supplementation. We now need randomised controlled studies focused on vitamin D deficient children to confirm if vitamin D supplements would help this particular group.â€
Randomized controlled trials were thoroughly scrutinized that compared children provided with vitamin D supplements and placebo. Scientists laid hands on six studies which together included 343 volunteers who were given placebo and 541 with vitamin D. All the study subjects belonged to the age group of one month to 19 years. Participants had consumed either vitamin D or placebo for at least three months.
The study is published in The Cochrane Library.