Aug 03, 2015 06:19 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

New research suggests that high vitamin D levels do not improve the bone health of post-menopausal women.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that women who took high doses of the supplement for a year "were absorbing slightly more calcium from their intestines into their blood compared to women who took low doses of vitamin D or a dummy pill," Reuters reported.

"We conclude that there is no reason to take more than the recommended daily allowance for vitamin D," Dr. Karen Hansen, lead author of the study, told Reuters.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the recommended daily intake of Vitamin D is 600 international units (IU) for most women.  For women over the age of 70, 800 IU is recommended.

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from 230 women who were at least five years past menopause and did not have osteoporosis at the start of the study. The participants were not older than 75 years old.

They were randomly assigned to take either 800 IU or 50,000 IU of vitamin D, or a dummy pill once every 15 days for about a year.

To further slowdown the progression of osteoporosis, researchers suggest that women stay active with weight-bearing exercises.

"There were no clinical benefits seen in either low dose or high dose vitamin D for bone health," Dr. Rita Redberg, editor-in-chief of JAMA Internal Medicine, told Reuters. "I would recommend not starting vitamin D supplementation, or stopping Vitamin D if you have started."

The findings are detailed in JAMA Internal Medicine. 

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