Effect of vitamin D supplementation alone or with calcium on adiposity measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
What this study found
Vitamin D supplementation, with or without calcium, did not meaningfully reduce adiposity in adults. For vitamin D alone versus placebo, BMI was WMD −0.06 (−0.14 to 0.03), weight was WMD −0.05 (−0.32 to 0.23), and fat mass was WMD −0.43 (−1.69 to 0.84), with p = 0.20. For vitamin D plus calcium versus calcium control, BMI was WMD 0.02 (−0.11 to 0.14), weight was WMD 0.12 (−0.24 to 0.49), and fat mass was WMD 0.12 (−0.22 to 0.45), with p = 0.80. No dose-response relationship was found, and the authors concluded that more adequately powered trials with baseline vitamin D assessment and…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in adults aged 18 years and older.
- Intervention
- Across 26 randomized controlled trials, adults received vitamin D supplementation alone or vitamin D combined with calcium.
- Key limitation
- The included trials used heterogeneous vitamin D formulations and doses, with varying calcium cointerventions, which limits comparability.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
CONTEXT The independent or interactive effects of vitamin D and calcium on adiposity remain inconclusive. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess whether vitamin D and calcium supplements cause changes in adiposity. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for literature published from 1966 to March 2014. STUDY SELECTION A systematic search was conducted for randomized clinical trials with ≥ 50 participants aged ≥ 18 years at baseline who had received at least 12 weeks of treatment. Among the inclusion criteria were supplementation with vitamin D with or without calcium and measurement of adiposity (weight, body mass index [BMI], and/or fat mass). DATA EXTRACTION The primary endpoints assessed were changes in weight, BMI, or fat mass. DATA SYNTHESIS Of 953 trials identified, 26 randomized clinical trials (n = 12, vitamin D alone; n = 10, vitamin D plus calcium versus calcium control; n = 4, vitamin D plus calcium versus placebo) with a total of 42,430 participants (median duration, 12 months) met the inclusion criteria. When compared with placebo, vitamin D supplementation had no significant effect on BMI (weighted mean difference [WMD], -0.06 kg/m(2); 95% confidence interval [95%CI], -0.14 to 0.03), weight (WMD, -0.05 kg; 95%CI, -0.32 to 0.23), or fat mass (WMD, -0.43 kg; 95%CI, -1.69 to 0.84). Likewise, no significant reduction in BMI (WMD, 0.02 kg/m(2); 95%CI, -0.11 to 0.14), weight (WMD, 0.12 kg; 95%CI, -0.24 to 0.49), or fat mass (WMD, 0.12 kg; 95%CI, -0.22 to 0.45) was observed in participants who received vitamin D plus calcium compared with those who received calcium control. CONCLUSIONS Supplementation with vitamin D showed no effect on adiposity measures in adults.