Vitamin D and Reduced Blood Cholesterol

Research synthesisLow evidenceMixed effect size7 studies · 2 beneficial · 5 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 7 studies (including 2 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review, and 1 RCT), only 2 reported a beneficial effect of vitamin D on reducing blood cholesterol, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. The majority (5 studies) found no significant effect. The median study duration was 42 days in the one study that reported it, but most studies did not specify duration.

Caveats: Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. Beneficial effects were observed primarily in clinical populations (e.g., women with gestational diabetes, patients with diabetes/prediabetes) and may not generalize to healthy individuals. The evidence is inconsistent across populations and study types.

Generated Jun 14, 2026

Doses used in studies

IU/day: 1,000 (median 1,000, IQR 1,000–1,000) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 6 weeks · IQR 6 weeks–6 weeks · Range 6 weeks–6 weeks — Reported in 1 of 7 studies

7 of 7 papersPopulation:

Are there prophylactic effects of vitamin D among healthier adult patients? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
- 2025-07-04
- Systematic Review · n = 415
- BMC nutrition 11(1)
- - Caroline Goswami
  - Sherrice Law
  - Hannah Zhang
  - Hannah Park
  - Bhagvat Maheta
  - Katherine Arnott
  - Megan Hsu
  - Kevin Truong
  - Mark Sheffield
  - Zahid Iqbal
  - Chainaronk Limanon
  - David Pai
- PubMed: 40616189
- DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01107-0
10 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Adults
5000 IU Vitamin D for four weeks significantly reduced cholesterol, unlike 1000 IU for 16 weeks.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
1000 IU
Can vitamin D supplementation affect cardiometabolic factors in children and adolescence with overweight and obesity? A grade-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- 2025-11-25
- Meta-Analysis · n = 440
- BMC pediatrics 25(1)
- - Amir Hossein Faghfouri
  - Mahsa Mahmoudinezhad
  - Pedram Pam
  - Sanaz Barazandeh
  - Fatemeh Faramarzi
  - Yousef Mohammadpour
  - Vali Musazadeh
  - Shahsanam Gheibi
- PubMed: 41291584
- DOI: 10.1186/s12887-025-05795-2
9 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Children
vitamin D supplementation no significantly improved ... TC
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Vitamin D and Evening Primrose Oil Administration Improve Glycemia and Lipid Profiles in Women with Gestational Diabetes.
- 2016-01-19
- RCT · n = 60
- Lipids 51(3)
- - Mehri Jamilian
  - Maryam Karamali
  - Mohsen Taghizadeh
  - Nasrin Sharifi
  - Zahra Jafari
  - Mohammad Reza Memarzadeh
  - Mahnaz Mahlouji
  - Zatolla Asemi
- PubMed: 26781763
- DOI: 10.1007/s11745-016-4123-3
9 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
TC (-22.1 ± 32.6 vs. +5.3 ± 20.1 mg/dL, P < 0.001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
1000 IU/day
Effectiveness of Vitamin D Supplementation on Biochemical, Clinical, and Inflammatory Parameters in Patients with Different Types of Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- 2025-09-18
- Meta-Analysis
- Nutrients 17(18)
- - Alejandro Bruna-Mejías
  - Rocío Valdivia-Arroyo
  - Emelyn Sofia Becerra-Rodríguez
  - Ignacio Clasing-Cárdenas
  - Yesica Tatiana Castaño-Gallego
  - Guinevere Granite
  - Mathias Orellana-Donoso
  - Gustavo Oyanedel-Amaro
  - Pablo Nova-Baeza
  - Gloria Cifuentes-Suazo
  - Alejandra Suazo-Santibañez
  - Juan Sanchis-Gimeno
  - Héctor Gutiérrez Espinoza
  - Juan José Valenzuela-Fuenzalida
- PubMed: 41010515
- DOI: 10.3390/nu17182991
13 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
supplementation significantly reduced ... total cholesterol
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- 2026-04
- Meta-Analysis
- The Journal of nutrition 156(4)
- - Bowen Yu
  - Junyan Liu
  - Fangfang Bu
  - Hongli Yan
  - Chen Chen
  - Yanfei Li
  - Yifei Sun
  - Yaqin Wang
  - Junhua Yuan
- PubMed: 41478593
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.101314
9 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
However, vitamin D supplementation did not show a significant effect on TC (-0.28; 95% CI: -0.61, 0.05)
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
A meta-analysis of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on endocrine metabolic and inflammatory markers in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
- 2026-01-02
- Meta-Analysis
- Medicine 105(1)
- - Baohua Wu
  - Jun Yao
- PubMed: 41496027
- DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000046892
12 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
- Clinical
total cholesterol (TC) ... were unaffected
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
The effect of vitamin D2 on lipid profile, anthropometric indices, blood pressure, and inflammatory and glycemic biomarkers in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- 2024-10
- Meta-Analysis
- Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators 174
- - Zhihong Zhou
  - Jiyuan Liu
  - Hui Zhang
  - Kousalya Prabahar
  - Benjamin Hernández-Wolters
  - Yuanhong Yuan
- PubMed: 39154789
- DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2024.106883
12 Insights on
- Reduced Blood Cholesterol
- High evidence
No statistically significant association was observed between vitamin D2 administration and ... TC
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
not specified

Vitamin D and Reduced Blood Cholesterol

Are there prophylactic effects of vitamin D among healthier adult patients? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Can vitamin D supplementation affect cardiometabolic factors in children and adolescence with overweight and obesity? A grade-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Vitamin D and Evening Primrose Oil Administration Improve Glycemia and Lipid Profiles in Women with Gestational Diabetes.

Effectiveness of Vitamin D Supplementation on Biochemical, Clinical, and Inflammatory Parameters in Patients with Different Types of Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

A meta-analysis of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on endocrine metabolic and inflammatory markers in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

The effect of vitamin D2 on lipid profile, anthropometric indices, blood pressure, and inflammatory and glycemic biomarkers in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.