Vitamin D is a common response to the deterioration of bones due to aging. As the bones become more fragile with age, a vitamin D supplementation is often prescribed to prevent falls and fractures.
But, as scientists have not yet reached an agreement on the ideal dose of vitamin D, or on the choice of daily or monthly supplementation, everyone is doing their own little study. The most recent, published in the Jama of internal medicine was conducted by Prof. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, from the Geriatrics and Aging Research Department at the University Hospital of Zurich (Switzerland).
For this study, the doctor followed 200 patients aged 70 and over and divided them into three groups: the first group received the currently recommended dose of 24,000 IU of vitamin D per month, another received 60,000 IU per month. months and the last group took 24,000 IU of vitamin D plus 300 micrograms of calcifediol, which makes it easier to metabolize vitamin D and make it more available to muscles and bones.
“Contrary to what we expected, we found that the lower the dose, the better the results. Not only people taking 24,000 IU per month suffered less falls (48% against 66.5% for the other two groups) but they had better muscle resistance in their lower limbs. This would also protect them against falls and potential fractures “ declares Professor Bischoff-Ferrari.
For researchers, this means there could be a “window” in vitamin D levels, which promotes muscle strength, and therefore bone health. Above and below, the magic no longer operates and the risk of falls persists.
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