‘The most wasteful health intervention’: Award-winning hepatologist warns against taking Vitamin D supplements randomly

Kerala-based Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as The Liver Doc, has cautioned against taking vitamin D supplements indiscriminately.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he advised against routinely checking vitamin D levels without medical indication.

"If found incidentally low, do not routinely start taking vitamin D supplements," he wrote.


Dr. Philips, who claims to be an award-winning hepatologist, explained that while supplements can raise vitamin D levels, “it does not impact health in any clinically meaningful way in adults who randomly check and routinely consume it based on an incidentally identified abnormal report.”

He even labeled vitamin D supplements as “the most wasteful health intervention.”


Responding to a user who said she nearly died during the COVID-19 pandemic due to low vitamin D, Dr. Philips clarified, “Anecdotal evidence is testimony or observation based on personal experience, not systematic research. While it can be convincing, it is often unreliable, subjective, and may not apply to the broader population.”

He also critiqued the UK National Health Service guidelines recommending 400 IU of vitamin D daily: “NHS advice for supplementation in winter is a precautionary, population-level nutrition policy, not evidence-based clinical guidance. Using it to justify broad health claims is an appeal to authority without proper scientific grounding. Develop critical thinking skills to avoid being misled by such arguments.”

Last year, Dr. Ravinder Goswami from AIIMS also warned against vitamin D overuse, noting that “a 600,000-unit vitamin D injection could adversely affect bone health.” He added that high doses may increase the risk of falls and bone deterioration, and active analogues like calcitriol, used for certain kidney conditions, are unsuitable for treating standard vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption in the gut. Calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream work together to strengthen and mineralize bones.

Factors such as persistent pollution, smog, and higher melanin levels in Indian skin can reduce the effectiveness of sunlight in vitamin D synthesis, particularly during winter.