Cut risk of fractures by 20% with one little vitamin
Recently, vitamins have been getting some bad press as a result of some…how to put this kindly…FLAWED studies. So it's always nice to read some good solid science to balance the misrepresentation. Recently, researchers looked at 12 double-blind randomized trials involving 42,279 subjects taking vitamin D. And the news is very good. A daily dose of 400 international units or more of vitamin D may reduce hip fractures by 18%, and non-vertebral fractures by 20%. This is particularly welcome news considering that several recent trials showed vitamin D provided little benefit to bones. The researchers in this latest study suspect that those previous trials simply hadn't used enough of the vitamin. (If you're surprised, raise your hand…yeah, I didn't think so.) The trick is not just getting enough vitamin D—it's also getting it early and using it for a longer period of time. When the researchers looked at all of the data from the trials (regardless of the dosage amount), they found only a 9% decrease in the risk of hip fractures and a 14% decrease in the risk of non-vertebral fractures. But when they just looked at the higher doses, the fracture risks dropped dramatically. If you've been reading the e-Tips for a while, you're no stranger to the benefits of vitamin D. But this is just one more reason to make sure you're getting enough. Sure, our bodies make vitamin D when they're exposed to the sun, but how many of us are outside for more than a few minutes on any given day? Dr. Wright's recommendation for adults is 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day, along with at least 1,000 mg of calcium. After all, your body needs both of these essential nutrients to keep your bones—and the rest of you—in optimum health. Source:
"Science supports vitamin D to fewer broken bones." Nutraingredients USA (www.nutraingredients-usa.com), 3/25/09. | 
