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You probably know that vitamin D is important for bone health. It may also help protect against colds, diabetes, and even cancer. Vitamin deficiencies are suspected in various chronic disease states, including fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Now there is more evidence that a lack of vitamin D can affect muscle strength and performance, at least in the elderly. This is the finding of a recent study conducted by the Wake Forest University of Medicine in Winston-Salem.
This study of 976 seniors found that in those with low blood levels of vitamin D, there was a 5-10% decrease in physical performance and grip strength (which is a pretty good indicator of disability in the future). The physical tests in the study included common activities such as getting up from a sitting position, and keeping balanced while standing in a series of increasingly difficult positions. The results held up even after taking into account other factors such as overall health condition, anemia levels, weight, level of physical activity, mental ability and even the season of the year.
This is a concern for a lot of people. The study found that amongst the participants, almost 29% of women and 14% of men had vitamin D deficiency, as determined by measuring their blood levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. (This test is frequently used, and is considered an accurate measure of the vitamin.) Estimates of how many people have insufficient vitamin D range from 25% to half of those over 60 years old.
You can get your vitamin D from foods such as milk products and fatty fish like salmon, vitamin fortified juices and cereals, and from natural sunlight. Foods with natural vitamin D content and sunlight are usually better than taking the vitamin as a supplement. The vitamin D manufactured by the body as a result of sunlight exposure actually lasts longer in the body. Besides, digestive disorders prevent some from absorbing the vitamin in the gut. Three to four percent of people with osteoporosis have the bone disease because they have celiac disease, which makes them unable to absorb normal amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Also, studies at two universities (Aberdeen and York) have demonstrated that taking supplemental vitamin D does not reduce bone fractures in elderly people. A healthy, balanced diet with moderate sun exposure is considered superior to supplements.
For Caucasians, exposing the hands, face and arms to sunlight for five to ten minutes two to three times a week should be enough to build the body’s vitamin D stores. Because the vitamin is fat soluble, if you get sufficient sun through most of the year, you can get through the winter months with less sun exposure by relying on your body’s stores. Dark skinned people, however, can need up to 10-20 times the sun exposure that light skinned people, do because their skin allows less UV-B radiation to penetrate. Also, the skin of older people does not produce vitamin D from sun exposure as effectively as it does in the younger population. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can of course lead to skin damage and even skin cancer, and should be avoided.
Current guidelines for dietary intake recommend that people between the ages of 50 and 69 get 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day and for those over age 70 to get 600 IUs. But those recommendations consider the vitamin’s affect on bone health. More is probably needed to optimize the nutrient’s other functions, such as preserving muscle function and protecting against cancer.
The views expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Pagosa Review. |
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