Not getting enough vitamin D? This may increase your risk of losing muscle strength after age 50.
Losing muscle as you get older can be inconvenient, not to mention dangerous. Along with the fact that it can make tackling everyday tasks more difficult, it can also increase the likelihood that you might suffer an injury, according to Harvard Medical School. To prevent that from potentially being a problem you’d have to face sooner rather than later, you want to ensure that you’re getting the right vitamins into your diet or via supplements. As a new study has found, a vitamin D deficiency may lead to loss of muscle as you age.
The study, which was published in the Calcified Tissue International and Musculoskeletal Research, involved 3,205 UK adults who were 50 years old or older. At the beginning of the study, the participants had not yet lost muscle due to aging. However, after the course of four years, those who were deficient in vitamin D were 70% more likely to have suffered from muscle loss. Beyond that, when factors were taken into consideration—such as who was taking vitamin D supplements and who had osteoporosis—the risk for those with vitamin D deficiency at the beginning of the study rose to 78% compared to those who were getting enough of the vitamin.
“It’s necessary to explain to people that they risk losing muscle strength if they don’t get enough vitamin D,” study co-author Tiago da Silva Alexandre, a professor of gerontology at the Federal University of São Carlos, said in a news release. “They need to expose themselves to the sun, eat food rich in vitamin D or take a supplement, and do resistance training exercises to maintain muscle strength.”
When it comes to the amount of vitamin D you might need, Dr. Hascalovici explains, “For most adults, 600 IU per day is around the right amount. If you are 71 or older, aim for closer to 800 IU per day. Since you may have unique needs, a physician or nutritionist can provide more specific guidance.”
“It’s important not to exceed 4,000 IU per day, as too much vitamin D can contribute to nausea, vomiting, kidney stones, heart damage, and cancer,” adds Dr. Hascalovici. “When vitamin D builds up over time, it can lead to calcium-related toxicity.”
Although Dr. Hascalovici says that “this is relatively rare,” it “can be prevented by aiming for less than 1,000 IU per day from all combined sources.”
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.eatthis.com by Desirée O where all credits are due. Fact checked by Jordan Powers Willard.
Disclaimer
The watching, interacting, and participation of any kind with anything on this page does not constitute or initiate a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Farrah™. None of the statements here have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products of Dr. Farrah™ are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information being provided should only be considered for education and entertainment purposes only. If you feel that anything you see or hear may be of value to you on this page or on any other medium of any kind associated with, showing, or quoting anything relating to Dr. Farrah™ in any way at any time, you are encouraged to and agree to consult with a licensed healthcare professional in your area to discuss it. If you feel that you’re having a healthcare emergency, seek medical attention immediately. The views expressed here are simply either the views and opinions of Dr. Farrah™ or others appearing and are protected under the first amendment.
Dr. Farrah™ is a highly experienced Licensed Medical Doctor certified in evidence-based clinical nutrition, not some enthusiast, formulator, or medium promoting the wild and unrestrained use of nutrition products for health issues without clinical experience and scientific evidence of therapeutic benefit. Dr. Farrah™ has personally and keenly studied everything she recommends, and more importantly, she’s closely observed the reactions and results in a clinical setting countless times over the course of her career involving the treatment of over 150,000 patients.
Dr. Farrah™ promotes evidence-based natural approaches to health, which means integrating her individual scientific and clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise, I refer to the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.
Dr. Farrah™ does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of any multimedia content provided. Dr. Farrah™ does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed, linked, or referenced to, in, or by any multimedia content.
To be clear, the multimedia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in any website, video, image, or media of any kind. Dr. Farrah™ hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
