Vitamin D and Calcium may not help prevent bone fractures in older people, a new study suggests. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force reports that there is not enough current evidence to make an accurate assessment on whether the Vitamin D and Calcium combination actually does anything to prevent bone fractures. The USPSTF is now advising against daily supplements over 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium for preventing fractures in postmenopausal women.
The panel also warned that the supplements could cause further complications, such as the risk of kidney stones. That said, both vitamin D and calcium are critical to bone health, even if they don't lead to less fractures.
The recommendations are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Natural Products Association have said the new recommendations by the USPSTF are questionable at best due to the limited amount of literature on calcium and vitamin D and consumers should hold off on forgoing their supplements. "These recommendations fail to recognize the well-established role of calcium and vitamin D in maintaining bone health," said Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., senior director, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN, according to Natural Products Insider.
"If these recommendations are taken to heart, or misconstrued as general recommendations against calcium and vitamin D, consumers could be compromising their bone health and missing out on important other benefits from these nutrients. The bottom line: calcium and vitamin D are vital to staying healthy."
Currently, about 20 percent of American adults take vitamin D supplements, while 17 percent take calcium supplements.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.