Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 1 beneficial · 3 neutral · 0 harmful
Across 4 meta-analyses, 1 reported a beneficial small effect of vitamin D supplementation on reducing total cholesterol in patients with diabetes and prediabetes, while 3 found neutral effects with small effect sizes. The majority of studies showed no statistically significant benefit, and the overall evidence does not support a clear cholesterol-lowering effect from vitamin D supplementation in general populations. The most-studied populations were clinical groups (e.g., children with obesity, patients with diabetes, MAFLD), but doses and forms were not consistently reported.
- Studied populations: patients with diabetes and prediabetes; obese/overweight children and adolescents; patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. The one beneficial finding was limited to a specific clinical population (diabetes/prediabetes), and generalizability to healthy individuals is uncertain. Doses and forms were not consistently reported across studies, limiting dose-response conclusions.
Generated May 25, 2026