The study was triggered by mounting pressure from the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Pediatric Society on Health Canada to look deeper based on the claims by the two medical societies that it has strong evidence on the benefits of taking large doses of Vitamin D.
According to the Globe and Mail, the study will be done by the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, which is based in Washington. The study is expected to cost $1 million and last one year.
Canada's health benchmarks has been criticized for being outdated, having been developed in 1997 based on the belief that only minute amounts of Vitamin D are needed to prevent rickets during childhood. The current Canadian recommended dose are from 200 to 600 international units, depending on the age.
For people over 50, Health Canada recommended an extra daily Vitamin D supplement of 400 IU. Among the observed benefits of regular intake of Vitamin D were improved muscle strength, lesser fracture rates and prevention of some types of cancers.
