A new study has found that higher-than-normal doses of vitamin D may help reduce the incidence of falls in older people.

The study, of 124 residents in a Boston nursing home, found that residents who took 800 IU of vitamin D daily for five months were 72 % less likely to fall during the study period than a group taking blank look-alike pills. People taking lower doses of vitamin D—200, 400 or 600 IU—did not see a significant reduction in falls.

Vitamin D is well-known for its role in keeping bones strong. But it has additional functions, including supporting muscle strength  In two vitamin D-deficiency conditions, rickets and osteomalacia, muscle weakness and myopathy (a general term for muscle dysfunction) have long been noted.

“Ensuring that nursing home residents are receiving adequate daily supplemental vitamin D may reduce the number of Vitamin Din elderly nursing home residents and could potentially reduce the risk of fracture in this high-risk group,” the researchers note.

This study provides new evidence that vitamin D deficiency is common among nursing home residents even when they’re receiving supplements.. When the study started, 57 % of the participants, including 54 % of those taking multi-vitamins, had low blood levels of vitamin D. None of the participants had excessive blood levels of vitamin D during the study.  (Broe, KE et al. J Am Geriatric Soc 2007; 55:234-239.)

Currently, a dosage of 600 IU of vitamin D daily is considered adequate for people age 71 or older, according to the National Institute of Medicine. Up to 2,000 IU a day is considered safe for adults.  Too much vitamin D can be toxic.

Vitamin D is also found in fortified milk, cod liver oil, salmon, tuna and eggs. Our bodies can make vitamin D from sun exposure, but that ability decreases with age.

Our Multi Nutrient Formulas contain 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 (the most superior form) and 800 mg of Calcium, more than almost any other multi-vitamin on the market. Made in the USA. See related items below.