Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Dietary calcium intake can enhance the response to vitamin D supplementation, with higher calcium intake associated with greater increases in 25(OH)D concentrations.
If you are taking vitamin D, ensuring adequate calcium intake (through diet or supplements) may help you achieve higher blood levels of vitamin D. This is particularly relevant for postmenopausal women. However, results vary, and it is not a substitute for appropriate vitamin D dosing.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Every 1000 mg increase in calcium intake was associated with 9.5 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D concentrations in vitamin D deficient postmenopausal African American women supplemented with vitamin D.
Why this rating
Results are mixed; some studies show no effect, while others show a significant positive association.
Source
Factors Affecting 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration in Response to Vitamin D Supplementation
Hajar Mazahery et al. · Nutrients · 2015
DOI 10.3390/nu7075111
narrative_reviewCited 209×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Higher baseline 25(OH)D concentrations result in a significantly smaller increase in serum 25(OH)D following vitamin D supplementation, demonstrating an inverse dose-response relationship.Good
- Higher BMI and body fat percentage significantly reduce the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation, resulting in smaller increases in circulating 25(OH)D concentrations compared to leaner individuals.Good
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