Is the Institute of Medicine Report on Calcium and Vitamin D Good Science?

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies released its new Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D report on November 30, 2010 (IOM, 2011), which is summarized in Ross et al. (2010). The IOM report found that the only health benefit of vitamin D supported by the rigorous scientific studies they reviewed was for the bones. The report set recommended dietary allowances of 600 IU/day for those aged 1–70 years and 800 IU/day for those aged 71 or older, under conditions of minimal sun exposure. It also stated that a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level of 20 ng/ml was adequate. However, the authors noted that no adverse effects such as hypercalcemia or acute toxicity had been documented for oral intakes of up to 10,000 IU/day for adults; regardless, they set the upper-level intake at between 1,000 IU/day for infants (aged 0–6 months) and 4,000 IU/day for those older than 9 years. While this report is a step forward, it is disappointing that no nonbony benefits emerged from this review.