Boston Doctor: More Vitamin D Isn't Necessarily Better
BOSTON (CBS) -- A well-known Boston doctor is cautioning against over-screening and over-prescribing Vitamin D.
Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, tells WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Diane Stern that Vitamin D is important for health, but she's not convinced that taking thousands of units of the vitamin is wise.
"More is not necessarily better," she said. "The enthusiasm for Vitamin D supplementation among both clinicians and the public has really outpaced the evidence."
The doctor's commentary was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association on Thursday.
Manson said there are several large-scale randomized trials that are currently testing whether taking extra amounts of Vitamin D can help to reduce chronic disease outcomes, but there haven't been any answers yet.
"There is potentially more harm than good from taking mega doses," Manson said.
The current recommendation is 600 to 800 IUs of Vitamin D per day. While Manson says 1,000 units would be OK, more than that at this point in time would be too much.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Diane Stern reports: