Vitamin supplements for D and calcium are unnecessary for most people and could be harmful for others, a new medical report says.
The report, commissioned by the Canadian and US governments and conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that almost all North Americans have tolerable intakes of vitamin D and calcium, and that excessive intake of either, most likely due to supplements, could cause kidney and heart issues.
The report, commissioned by the Canadian and US governments and conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that almost all North Americans have tolerable intakes of vitamin D and calcium, and that excessive intake of either, most likely due to supplements, could cause kidney and heart issues.
The IOM committee found that “with a few exceptions, all North Americans are receiving enough calcium and vitamin D,” a report brief on the IOM website said.
The report also recommended that intake of vitamin D be limited to 4,000 IUs (international unit, a pharmacological unit of potency) and the intake of calcium be limited to 2,000 milligrams per day.
On the other hand, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has demonstrated declining levels of vitamin D from 1998 to 2004, Archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/169/6/626 The study concluded: “Current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation are inadequate to address the growing epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency.”
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