A study published lately in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) by a team of researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark has revealed that vitamin D intake is not contributing to reduced number of deaths of elderly.

It has been found by the group that elderly do not increase their life expectancy rates by consuming vitamin D or calcium alone. Rather, a combination of both allows them to survive longer and fit.

The eight trials conducted by the group included more than 1,000 participants of age 70 years and above, with nearly 90% women. The tests have shown that those who were given vitamin D with calcium showed a 9% fall in death rates in a three-year period.

"Although our study does not rule out such effects, we found that calcium with vitamin D supplementation to elderly participants is overall not harmful to survival, and may have beneficial effects on general health", said lead author Lars Rejnmark, PhD.

Thus, it is being said that the impressions that calcium and vitamin D supplements together reduce the fracture risks are true. Also, calcium intake helps in cutting cardiovascular risk. Though, the beliefs that vitamin D intake helps delay death are wrong.