By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
    May 27, 2023
    4 Signs It’s Time to See a Therapist
    May 24, 2023
    11 Ways To Modernize Your Private Practice
    May 17, 2023
    Important Steps to Take for Scaling A Biopharma Product
    May 2, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The People Doctors Listen to
    May 22, 2012
    innovation center and the affordable care act
    The Innovation Center Will Now Demonstrate
    February 11, 2014
    Reaching Prospective Medical Students Where They Are: Online
    October 26, 2012
    Latest News
    MRI Sedation Options: What You Should Know Before Screening
    May 17, 2023
    What is the Process of Creating Medicine from Nature?
    May 2, 2023
    Choosing the Right Treatment Option for Varicose Veins
    May 2, 2023
    What Are Wrong-Site Surgeries and How Do They Occur?
    April 27, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Vitamin D and Bone Health for Active Adults
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Geriatrics > Vitamin D and Bone Health for Active Adults
GeriatricsHome HealthWellness

Vitamin D and Bone Health for Active Adults

Kurtis Frank
Last updated: 2013/08/31 at 8:00 AM
Kurtis Frank
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Out of all the benefits of vitamin D, the ones that stand out most are those related to bone health, immune system effects and possible benefits to cognition. In this case, bone health is defined as reducing fractures and falls in the elderly while improving bone mineral density.  

Contents
Vitamin D Shows Promise to Reduce Bone Fractures in Active AdultsWhy is there so little research on Vitamin D and bone health in non-elderly adults?

Out of all the benefits of vitamin D, the ones that stand out most are those related to bone health, immune system effects and possible benefits to cognition. In this case, bone health is defined as reducing fractures and falls in the elderly while improving bone mineral density.  

Vitamin D is said to promote bone health secondary to helping bone cells ‘mature’. Since they proliferate in their early stages, this means that their proliferation is suppressed.  Then they start to accumulate minerals, which then create the actual bone matrix. This increases the amount of minerals in the bone, and thus the bone mineral density, causing the bone to become more rigid and harder to break.

Now, when we think of supporting bone strength there are two types of people who come to mind. One group is the elderly, and the other are non-elderly adults due to their propensity to break bones. In the case of the elderly, while they may not be doing anything strenuous they could risk a fracture merely by falling onto the ground and thus preventing either the fall or the bone breaking is very important.  For non-elderly active adults, who will just refer to as ‘adults’ from now on, they tend to participate in strenuous physical activities that are incredibly stressful to the body and skeletal structure.

More Read

relation between Trauma and Chronic Pain

Understanding the Relationship Between Trauma and Chronic Pain

The Best Natural Sleep Remedies & Aids
The Best Natural Ways to Boost Your Body Energy & Focus
Obese? 5 Reasons You Should Lose Weight (Some Are Surprising!)
How To Combat Poor Sleep Without Medication

Adult boxers need vitamin D

In active adults, supporting bone mass beyond normal levels will reduce incapacitation either on the field (for athletes) or in the field (for military personnel) and thus is very important; this article is focused specifically towards what the science has found when assessing active adults.

Vitamin D Shows Promise to Reduce Bone Fractures in Active Adults

When looking at adults, we have two studies conducted in military personnel, one in male recruits with an average age of 19 (Source) and the other in female recruits (Source). These studies measured serum vitamin D concentrations (and did not intervene with supplementation) and measured how frequently fractures occurred in both groups.

When looking at the highest level if vitamin D status (50ng/mL or above; seen as ‘optimal’ range by supplementers) versus the lowest (less than 20ng/mL; seen as deficient) it was found that those with optimal levels were at half the risk of getting a fracture at any time during the experiment.

When looking at other levels of vitamin D (30ng/mL and 40ng/mL) it appears that you get dose-dependent reductions in fracture risk with increasing levels of vitamin D.

Note: Scientific studies sometimes refer to adults as ‘youths’.  Usually there is the term ‘elderly’ to refer to persons over the age of 65 while the term ‘youth’ is reserved for anybody who is not elderly. In some instances you will get ‘middle aged’ (for the 35-64 bracket) but if not then ‘youth’ merely refers to everybody under 65 or some age bracket that is otherwise specified. In vitamin D trials, it tends to be between 18-44 that is considered ‘youth’.

Despite the promising literature above, there is only one actual intervention. This study (Source) investigated female military personnel given 800 IU vitamin D paired with 2,000mg calcium over 8 weeks, and it appeared that supplementation reduced the occurrence of fractures by 21% relative to placebo.  While a promising result, we need to keep in mind that calcium is a confounder here (and it is known to reduce fracture risk in females by itself) and that 800 IU may be a low dose and underestimate the benefits of vitamin D.

Why is there so little research on Vitamin D and bone health in non-elderly adults?

While the following is speculation, it is based on how science ‘works’. Studies need funding, and in order to get funding from a third party to pay for your study (the participants, the measurements, the supplements) you need to prove that your results would actually benefit society. There is only so much money to go around, and if two studies are in competition for funds then the one with the potential for much more benefit to society will get funded.

This is why there is a ton of literature on vitamin D and bone health, but next to none when we control for active adults. The main social problem that vitamin D is ‘solving’ is that supplementation of vitamin D in elderly persons can reduce the risk of falls. Since this can potentially save many lives and reduce hospital costs, it has priority in research and is where most research lays.  We’ll look at Vitamin D and it’s impact on bone health in the elderly in a future installment.

Photo Source: By Royal Navy official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

TAGGED: bone health, vitamin D

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Kurtis Frank August 31, 2013
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article workout foods Workout Fuel: The Best Foods to Eat Pre- and Post-Workout [INFOGRAPHIC]
Next Article milk facts and myths Of Cows, Milk, and Humans

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
Health May 27, 2023
nursing trends and predictions
Biggest Nursing Trends and Predictions for 2023
Nursing May 25, 2023
medical answering service
How Medical Answering Services Can Improve Patient Care
Technology May 25, 2023
healthy parenting
4 Ways Parents Can Raise a Healthy and Happy Child
Parenting May 25, 2023

You Might also Like

don't sleep with contact lenses
Wellness

Why You Should Never Sleep While Wearing Your Contacts

April 4, 2023
orthotics
Wellness

Find the Perfect Orthotic Device to Make Foot Pain Manageable

April 4, 2023
sleep apnea
News

Viktoriya Dombrovska Shares Insights on Sleep Apnea

April 3, 2023
employee health and safety consultants
News

Safety Consultants Can Craft Great Health and Wellness Policies

April 3, 2023
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?