A link between low levels of vitamin D and the prevalence of disability in older adults was suggested by a recent study.
Published in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, the study notes that approximately 25 percent of people over age 60 have low levels of vitamin D because they get less exposure to the sun, are less efficient at producing the vitamin from what sun exposure they do get, and may not ingest enough of the vitamin from dietary sources to counterbalance that deficiency.
Internal medicine-gerontology instructor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Denise Houston, was the study’s lead author. She and her colleagues analyzed data from a study of 976 Italians age 65 and older, finding that those with low levels of vitamin D scored 5 percent to 10 percent lower in tests of physical performance and grip strength.
While the researchers didn't look at whether low vitamin D levels actually cause poor physical performance, they said the findings suggest the need for additional research in this area.
Current recommendations state that people age 50 to 69 should get 400 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D per day, while people over age 70 should get 600 IUs per day. Some experts are considering that those recommended levels may not be enough, however.
"Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other conditions such as cancer prevention. The current recommendations are based primarily on vitamin D's effects on bone health," Houston says.
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health and muscle function, and may help protect against diabetes, cancer, colds and tuberculosis.
