New studies, in fact, point to vitamin D to treat osteoporosis and lessen the amount of bone fractures in the elderly. Osteoporosis is a major health issue for an estimated 44 million Americans and in the year 2000, the number of osteoporotic fractures in Europe was estimated at 3.79 million.

While primarily associated as an elderly disease, osteoporosis can show up at any time. Getting enough calcium and sunlight (vitamin D) to help absorb the calcium, has been targeted as a major factor in affecting the disease and reducing fractures.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) reports that “one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her/his remaining lifetime. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including over 300,000 hip fractures.”

Research has shown that vitamin D not only aids in the absorption of calcium to strengthen bones, but also positively affects muscles. This positive affect on bones and muscles leads to more body stability and experts say, could be beneficial in reducing the amount of fractures sustained from weak bones and muscles in the elderly.

Specialists are suggesting a daily dosage of 800 units (20 micrograms) for people 65 and older, while research is being done on yearly vitamin D injections.

Although many leading authorities are recommending extra vitamin D, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) — an independent UK organization responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health — is not advocating a certain dosage or saying whether supplements or injections would be the best technique for administering the vitamin.

NICE also states that although studies are showing that supplementing vitamin D may decrease the amount of fractures in the elderly, they are not positive it would lessen the amount of yearly fractures.

The Food Standards Agency in the UK, recommends 10 micrograms (or 400 units) of extra vitamin D, but only for those who are housebound, inactive and not eating a healthy diet of meat or oily fish. They stand firm that people who are active and eating a healthy diet, do not need extra vitamin D supplementation.

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The body requires adequate calcium intake as well as an adequate intake of vitamin D in order to maintain strong, dense and healthy bones.

Vitamin D alone is not sufficient for the treatment of osteoporosis. Nor are vitamin D and calcium alone and adequate treatment choice.

But vitamin D is an important component in the treatment of osteoporosis for many reasons. It helps with the absorption of calcium from the intestines.

Without adequate absorption of calcium, the calcium is unable to be metabolized as the body needs and so it sits there in the gut and is completely ineffective. When you have an insufficient amount of vitamin D in your body, bones that are already weakened become even more so.

Vitamin D comes from both your diet and from exposure to the sunlight. People living in sunny areas of the country don’t seem to have any problem producing the majority of the vitamin D that they need from the sunlight.

But if you look at the folks that live in the less sunny regions, then they seem to struggle with an adequate production of vitamin D. This is particularly true among the elderly who live in these less sunny regions. It puts them at even higher risk for osteoporotic fractures.

The Institute of Medicine has recommendations as to an adequate vitamin intake D regardless of whether you are battling osteoporosis or not.

Men and women aged 19 to 50 should take 200 IU per day. Men and women from the ages of 51 to 70 years old should take a 400 IU of vitamin D per day.

While men and women 71 years of age and older should ingest 600 IU per day. But the catch is, if you already have osteoporosis then you should take 400 IU two times per day.

Vitamin D and osteoporosis are important to manage appropriately since chronic overuse of vitamin D, especially above 2000 units per day, can cause toxic levels of vitamin D, excessively high calcium levels in the urine and blood, and even the development of kidney stones.

It’s like you are trading one problem for another one, not necessarily the smartest thing to do. It is important to talk with your physician prior to the initiation of vitamin D into your daily routine.

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