The Benefits of Vitamin D
Women who increase their intake of vitamin D as they grow older may be at less risk of hip fractures and other problems associated with osteoporosis, according to the recent results of an 18 year study. More than 72,000 women participated in the research conducted by Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. As reported in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who consumed 12.5 mcg of vitamin D daily from a combination of food and supplements had a 37 percent lower risk of hip fracture than women who consumed less than 4 mcg daily. The researchers recommend that women who have a low intake of vitamin D should take supplements or increase vitamin D sources (such as dark fish) in their diets. They also concluded that for older women, vitamin D intake provided better protection for bones than calcium. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute Sources: "Calcium, Vitamin D, Milk Consumption, and Hip Fractures: A Prospective Study Among Postmenopausal Women" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003, 77: 504-511
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