Short-Term, High-Dose Vitamin D2 May Ease Deficiency
TUESDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers are reporting that eight weeks of treatment with large doses of vitamin D2 can eliminate vitamin D deficiency, and twice-monthly doses can keep the condition at bay for up to six years.
The dosage -- 50,000 international units (IU) every week or two -- was large but did not appear to be toxic, according to the study published in the Oct. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Vitamin D is crucial for the body. Among its attributes, it strengthens bones by helping the body absorb calcium and phosphorus from food. Low levels of vitamin D can cause rickets in children and an adult bone disorder called osteomalacia.
A deficiency can also lead to osteoporosis, and research has suggested that it also has something to do with higher risks for such diseases as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and flu, the study's senior author, Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Bone Healthcare Clinic and the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a university news release.
For their study, the researchers treated 41 people who had low levels of vitamin D with 50,000 IU of the vitamin each week for two months.
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