Short- and long-term safety of weekly high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in school children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hypovitaminosis D is prevalent in youth worldwide, but the safety of vitamin D at doses exceeding 200 IU/d is unknown in this age group. We assessed the safety of high doses of vitamin D(3) administered to apparently healthy schoolchildren.

Methods

To assess short-term safety, 25 subjects randomly received placebo or vitamin D(3) at doses of 14,000 IU/wk for 8 wk. To assess long-term safety, 340 subjects randomly received placebo, vitamin D(3) as 1,400 IU/wk or 14,000 IU/wk for 1 yr. Biochemical variables were monitored at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 wk and 8 wk off therapy in the short-term study and at 0, 6, and 12 months in the long-term study.

Results

In both the short- and long-term studies, mean serum calcium and 1,25-hydroxyvitamin levels did not change in any

SUBMITTER: Maalouf J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2729206 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature