Too many Americans aren’t getting enough of the sun-sourced nutrient, researchers say
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) — Low levels of vitamin D can boost older women’s risk for hip fracture by more than 70 percent, University of Pittsburgh researchers report.
The finding adds weight to the recommendation that people maintain adequate intake of vitamin D, which is primarily made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight.
The fracture-vitamin D link “has been observed for 15 years,” noted Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University. “The good news is it’s consistent, the higher your vitamin D status, the lower the risk of your developing a hip fracture.”
The new report appears in the Aug. 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
(more…)
