Vitamin D, often known as the sunshine vitamin, is a critical component of healthy aging. While all people should have their vitamin D levels checked regularly, seniors should be especially cognizant of getting the proper amount of this essential nutrient as they age. Here’s why.
What Is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make.
We often think of the sun as a good source of vitamin D since the ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays help produce the vitamin in the skin. But most of us, especially those who live in a colder climate, need to eat certain foods to maintain a healthy level of vitamin D. The sun doesn’t give us enough to keep us from becoming vitamin D deficient.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, vitamin D “has long been known to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus; both are critical for building bone. Also, laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation.”
Simply put, vitamin D is critical to maintaining healthy bones. In recent blogs, we have discussed the rates of seniors falling at an all-time high (nearly one in four seniors fall annually). Knowing this means being extra careful with vitamin D levels is essential for a population that is at risk for falls.
Why Seniors Need to Worry About Vitamin D
Older people need to have enough vitamin D in their diet to maintain their bone health and prevent damage to their bones or muscles if they should fall.
Sadly, people over the age of 65 have been shown to produce less vitamin D than their younger counterparts. The reasons for this are not certain but many doctors speculate that this occurs either because people over 65 go outside less and have lower amounts of exposure to the sun’s rays or because it is harder to convert sunlight into vitamin D in older adults.
Benefits of Vitamin D for Older Adults
Since vitamin D helps our bodies to absorb calcium which is necessary for good bone health and seniors tend to have more vitamin D deficiencies, it is very important to maintain a good level of vitamin D.
Considering that seniors are also far more prone to falls, as well as experiencing other health problems like fatigue, joint pain, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis, vitamin D can prove to have an abundance of health benefits. Here are a few outlined by The Institute on Aging.
Vitamin D can…
- Reduce falls and fractures by increasing bone health and strength.
- Reduce bone pain and weakness by improving mobility.
- Reduce the risk of infections, certain cancers, and diabetes by regulating cell growth.
- Help older adults remain independent by reducing the chances of diseases like osteoporosis.
Talk to your healthcare provider about how much vitamin D you need to stay healthy.