Vitamin D Recommendations 2024: What You Need to Know

According to Dr. Teerawat Hemajutha, Director of the Health Sciences Center for Emerging Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, new recommendations for vitamin D supplementation have been released for the general population.

Who Should Take Vitamin D Supplements?

Vitamin D supplementation is recommended for the following groups:

• Children aged 1 to 18 to prevent cartilage disease and reduce the risk of some respiratory infections.
• People aged 70 and over, as it may help reduce mortality rates.
• Pregnant women, as it may help increase vitamin D levels.
• Individuals with diabetes, as it may help reduce the risk of complications.

Who Should Not Take Vitamin D Supplements?

Vitamin D supplementation is not recommended for the general population, except for the groups mentioned above.

Important Considerations

Blood sampling to check vitamin D levels is not recommended as part of a routine physical exam.

Annual bone density testing is also not recommended, as it has not been shown to prevent bone fractures or improve bone density.

Additionally, excessive vitamin D supplementation can cause high calcium levels, which can damage the heart and lead to calcium buildup in blood vessels.

Source

These recommendations are based on a report by the Endocrinology Society, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism on June 3, 2024.