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Vitamin D: Scientific American Chimes in on ‘VITAL’ as Research Money Vanishes

Vitamin D: Scientific American Chimes in on ‘VITAL’ as Research Money Vanishes

by | Mar 1, 2024

Post Categories: Aging and Longevity | Autoimmune Diseases | Book Reviews | Diabetes Management | Health Conditions | Nutrition and Lifestyle | Supplements

Vitamin D research money has dried up, say scientists. The US and British governments have turned away from funding large trials of the substance. The loss of funding is “a tragedy,” says Bruce W. Hollis, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, who believes D has substantial untapped potential for generating health.1

The funding shift has developed over the last decade. It accelerated in 2019 in the wake of a massive study known as “VITAL” sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. VITAL (short for “Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial”)2 has profoundly shaped the vitamin D landscape, scientists say—limiting research money, persuading doctors’ organizations to steer members away from the vitamin, and sparking mainstream media articles expressing doubt about D’s value.

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Bob Frost

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