Micronutrients & recovery
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation significantly reduces all-cause mortality in adults, particularly in elderly populations, whereas Vitamin D2, alfacalcidol, and calcitriol do not show significant mortality benefits.
If you are considering Vitamin D for longevity, choose Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). This large review of nearly 100,000 people found that D3, but not D2 or active forms, significantly reduced the risk of death, especially in older adults. The benefit is modest (about 150 people need to be treated for 5 years to save one life), but it is a low-risk intervention for this demographic. Be aware that combining D3 with calcium may slightly increase kidney stone risk.
Vitamin D decreased mortality in all 56 trials analysed together... When different forms of vitamin D were assessed in separate analyses, only vitamin D3 decreased mortality... Vitamin D2, alfacalcidol and calcitriol did not significantly affect mortality.
Why this rating
Large sample size (95,286 participants) and low heterogeneity (I2=0%), but downgraded due to attrition bias and outcome reporting bias.
Source
Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of mortality in adults
Goran Bjelaković et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2014
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →