Does vitamin D affect child growth? New study goes against accepted recommendations

Taking vitamin D has no effect on the sexual development and growth of adolescents, a new study by scientists from Harvard Medical School has found, JAMA Pediatrics reported.

Vitamin D deficiency is common among children living in temperate climates and has previously been linked to stunted and stunted growth, lower muscle mass, obesity and premature puberty. But most of the work was observational and did not have a placebo group.

The new controlled study included nearly nine thousand children from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent.

Analysis showed that weekly high-dose supplementation (14,000 IU) increased serum vitamin D levels, but had no effect on the growth or body composition of school-age children.

The results contradict previous studies in which a lower daily dose of vitamin D (300-800 IU) resulted in increased adolescent growth parameters in regions where vitamin D deficiency is widespread. The authors call for more research to develop scientifically validated recommendations for vitamin supplementation.

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