Summary
Vitamin C has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Osteoporosis. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Vitamin C to Osteoporosis: 6 have completed; 2 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT02629341). The largest enrolment is 1100 participants (NCT02247011). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2024. The literature layer holds 8 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review, 1 meta-analysis, 2 systematic reviews and 4 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1998 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Osteoporosis ranks 221 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Bone density decline of 1-3%/year in postmenopausal women without treatment; fracture risk increases exponentially with T-score decline; no spontaneous remission.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 47.0 (trials 19.0, literature 23.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 6 completed, 2 other |
| Linked publications | 8 (4 clinical trial publications, 2 systematic reviews, 1 Cochrane review, 1 meta-analysis) |
| Agent type | Supplement |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Herbal and nutraceutical interventions for osteoporosis: a review of effects on bone mineral density · Halma M, O'Leary C, Varon J · 2025 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02629341 | Functional Yogurt Powder Effect on Bone Health Biomarkers 2015 | completed | Phase 3 | 79 |
| NCT01881204 | Hesperidin and Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women 2011 | completed | Not applicable | 12 |
| NCT00322166 | The FREEDOM Study: a Randomised Controlled Trial of Sunlight and Calcium in Older People 2006 | completed | Not applicable | 600 |
| NCT05421819 | Design and Development of a Novel Food Supplement for Osteoporosis Based on Gut Microbiome Mechanisms 2022 | completed | Not applicable | 117 |
| NCT06135831 | Effect of Consumption of Supplements and Enriched Olive Paste on Bone Metabolism Indices 2019 | completed | Not applicable | 115 |
| NCT02247011 | A 5-Year Follow-up Study Investigating Factors Associated With Osteoporotic Fracture in Chinese Postmenopausal Women 2013 | completed | Not applicable | 1,100 |
| NCT04931602 | Determining Feasibility of a Model of Care for Secondary Fracture Prevention 2021 | status unknown | Not applicable | 172 |
| NCT06372158 | Effects of Liposomal Encapsulation on Calcium Powder Absorption and Metabolism 2024 | status unknown | Not applicable | 20 |
Published literature
- Systematic review The Determinants of Bone Health in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Narrative ReviewLipszyc RT, Rodda CP, Wright M et al. · Journal of paediatrics and child health · 2025 · PMID 40260745
- Clinical trial publication A Dairy Product to Reconstitute Enriched with Bioactive Nutrients Stops Bone Loss in High-Risk Menopausal Women without Pharmacological TreatmentMorato-Martínez M, López-Plaza B, Santurino C et al. · Nutrients · 2020 · PMID 32722015
- Systematic review Role of Vitamin C in Osteoporosis Development and Treatment-A Literature ReviewBrzezińska O, Łukasik Z, Makowska J et al. · Nutrients · 2020 · PMID 32785080
- Meta-analysis Vitamin C intake in relation to bone mineral density and risk of hip fracture and osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studiesMalmir H, Shab-Bidar S, Djafarian K · The British journal of nutrition · 2018 · PMID 29644950
- Clinical trial publication Exploiting the antioxidant potential of a common vitamin: could vitamin C prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis?Talaulikar VS, Chambers T, Manyonda I · The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 2012 · PMID 21827580
- Cochrane review A review of select vitamins and minerals used by postmenopausal womenDennehy C, Tsourounis C · Maturitas · 2010 · PMID 20580500
- Clinical trial publication The effect of fluvastatin on parameters of bone remodelingBjarnason NH, Riis BJ, Christiansen C · Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2001 · PMID 11444086
- Clinical trial publication The relation of dietary vitamin C intake to bone mineral density: results from the PEPI studyHall SL, Greendale GA · Calcified tissue international · 1998 · PMID 9701620
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Herbal and nutraceutical interventions for osteoporosis: a review of effects on bone mineral density · Halma M, O'Leary C, Varon J · 2025.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vitamin C approved for Osteoporosis?
Vitamin C has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Osteoporosis. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Vitamin C in clinical trials for Osteoporosis?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Vitamin C to Osteoporosis: 6 have completed; 2 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT02629341). The largest enrolment is 1100 participants (NCT02247011). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2024.
What does the evidence show for Vitamin C in Osteoporosis?
Vitamin C has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Osteoporosis. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.