Neither higher levels of vitamin D sometimes recommended by
doctors and testing laboratories nor calcium supplements are
necessary for bone health for most Americans, according to a
recent report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Calcium and
vitamin D are two essential nutrients long known for their role
in bone health. More recently, some studies have suggested that
vitamin D offers protection against chronic autoimmune diseases
and some cancers. Over the last ten years, the public has heard
conflicting messages about other benefits of these
nutrients—especially vitamin D—and also about how much calcium
and vitamin D they need to be healthy. To help clarify this
issue, the US and Canadian governments asked the IOM, a
nonprofit health advisory group, to assess current research on
calcium and vitamin D's effects on health. A committee of
experts reviewed the evidence and updated the Dietary Reference
Intakes (DRIs), which government agencies use to ensure that
nutrition label information is accurate and he