Study Finds That Higher Doses Of Vitamin D Reduce Fracture Risk Among Elderly

Higher doses of vitamin D – between 800 and 2,000 IUs a day – help reduce bone fractures in both men and women aged 65 and older, according to a Swiss-funded multinational study. The researchers pooled results of 11 randomized clinical trials investigating vitamin D supplementation and the risk of bone fracture among 31,000 older adults. They also found no benefit in taking vitamin D supplements in doses lower than 800 IUs a day for fracture prevention. In the U.S., the dietary reference intake (DRI) for vitamin D in older adults is a minimum of 600 IUs a day for adults between 51 and 70 years-old and 800 IUs in adults over 70.