Story highlights A new study has found that vitamin D supplements are not beneficial to everyone

But supplements may be beneficial to those at high risk of falls and fractures

(CNN) Vitamin D supplements do not help prevent disease for the majority of people, according to a new study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal.

During the bleak winter months of short days and cloudy skies, many people may seek out the benefits of sunshine in bottle form and reach for supplements of vitamin D. Made naturally by the skin when exposed to sunlight, this vitamin is needed to maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles and to prevent them from becoming brittle and at risk of fracture.

But a review of evidence from clinical trials on the impact of supplements has found that attempting to get vitamin D through supplements is not so beneficial.

"We conclude that current evidence does not support the use of vitamin D supplementation to prevent disease," said Mark Bolland, associate professor of medicine at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in a statement. Bolland led the research with Alison Avenell, a clinical chair in health sciences research at the University of Aberdeen.

According to the team, clinical trials have failed to show that supplementation reduces the risk posed by falls and fractures to bones and muscles. But they recognize that it may be beneficial in people who are at high risk, such as those in nursing homes and darker-skinned people living in colder climates.

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