By Park Chung-a
Staff Reporter
The risk of hip fracture can be reduced by taking oral vitamin D supplements only if they are accompanied by calcium supplements, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Dr. Steven Boonen from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, who announced the report, said that supplementation should be directed to those who are in need, including elderly people age 75 or older and those who stay home all the time or patients with diagnosed osteoporosis or people who are on certain drugs such as steroids, which can reduce the bone mineral density.
In the study, Boonen and his team compared two groups of people, one on vitamin D supplements only and the other on vitamin D plus calcium against a group who took a placebo.
The researchers found that the risk of hip fracture in the vitamin D only group was not statistically significant. However, the group which took both vitamin D and calcium experienced a reduction of hip fracture risk by up to 25 percent.
According to Boonen, as people age, they come to face negative calcium balance and for most people it is due to the combination of inadequate calcium intake and less than optimal vitamin D levels.
``That is why, in most individuals, a combination of calcium and vitamin D is required to restore the calcium balance and reduce fracture risk,’’ he said in the report.
The current recommendation for intake of vitamin D is too low for most people, say some experts, who have conducted research on vitamin D for decades.
Sunshine is the best way to get vitamin D for most people. Vitamin D supplements may not be as effective as natural vitamin D, which is bio-synthesized after the skin is exposed to sunshine. Fish liver oil is another source of vitamin D.
Vitamin D has been found to provide a range of health benefits. In addition to osteoporosis, vitamin D protects against cancer such as prostate cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer, autoimmune disease, and hypertension.