The Vitamin That Keeps You from Falling

Vitamin D — as in “D” for DO take it — has been found to help reduce risk of falling in older adults, in part because vitamin D is important to maintain muscle strength. It has been reported that an estimated 25% to 50% of men and women aged 60 and older have low vitamin D levels. Now a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study has found that older adults with low vitamin D levels had trouble gripping — demonstrating 5% to 10% lower grip strength and physical performance levels. It was harder for these folks to rise from a seated position and maintain balance compared with those with adequate levels.

How Much to Take?

A meta-analysis of studies on falls showed that taking vitamin D supplements of 700 International Units (IU) to 1,000 IU daily did, in fact, reduce a person’s risk of falling — by as much as 20%. It’s important to note that this dose exceeds the current Institute of Medicine’s recommendations (400 IU for people aged 50 to 70… and 600 IU for people older than 70), which were found insufficient to decrease risk.

I called Denise Houston, PhD, RD, assistant professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who has done extensive research on vitamin D and the elderly. She told me that studies show that even those living in Florida and Hawaii, where sunshine is abundant year-round, often are deficient. She offered several reasons why this is so. With age, the skin’s ability to make vitamin D is reduced — in fact, older adults produce only about one-quarter the amount of vitamin D from the sun as do younger people. Also, older people are often less likely to spend time outdoors in the sun and many wear long sleeves (and use sunscreen) when they do go out, she said.

D Dosing

Dietary sources of vitamin D include fortified milk and some types of fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna. But, since few people get sufficient D from diet, Dr. Houston says it is easiest and surest to supplement with D3 (cholecalciferol), the more active form of the vitamin. Even though it is far higher than the RDA, she recommends that people age 50 or older take a daily supplement containing from 800 IU to 1,000 IU of vitamin D. Check with your doctor first, since with some physical problems, such as impaired kidney function and tuberculosis, it may be harmful to supplement with vitamin D. Remember that many functions of vitamin D in the body depend on adequate access to calcium and that certain medications, such as antiseizure drugs, corticosteroids and diuretics, may interfere with vitamin D absorption or have adverse effects.