2020 Vitamins and Supplements

To help combat age-related bone mass loss, many older consumers have adopted habits like taking supplements or exercising. However, a new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Rheumatology found that osteoporosis remains a risk despite these efforts. 

According to their findings, the condition -- which affects older women in large numbers -- often goes undetected in older men. Their work revealed that many older men may not receive the proper diagnosis or treatment, even after undergoing injuries that tend to lead to osteoporosis. 

“Men are typically not part of routinely recommended screening...and so they are both underdiagnosed and undertreated,” said researcher Dr. Jeffrey Curtis. “While many comorbidities (i.e cardiovascular disease) are commonly recognized and treated in men, sometimes even more than women, osteoporosis is not one of them. Even post-fracture for major fractures like a hip, rates of treatment are disappointingly low, leaving men at risk for another fracture.” 

Why do these disparities exist?

To understand why older men are often neglected when it comes to testing for osteoporosis, the researchers analyzed Medicare data from nearly 10,000 people from 2010 through 2014. They were primarily interested in looking at the health care treatment for those who had experienced a serious fracture during that time frame. 

The researchers learned that the overwhelming majority of patients were not treated -- or ever even tested -- for osteoporosis following their injuries. They explained that a bone mineral density test is the most common way to detect osteoporosis, and more than 90 percent of the participants never received this exam. 

Just under three percent of the patients were given a bone density test; however, they never received any subsequent treatment for the condition. Ultimately, just over two percent of the study participants were given the proper test, diagnosis, and treatment for osteoporosis. 

According to the researchers, the primary issue with diagnosing and treating osteoporosis in older men comes down to unclear guidelines. They explained that national guidelines recommend that all women over the age of 65 are tested for osteoporosis, but men are excluded from these exams unless they have other conditions that could increase their risk. This is concerning for several reasons, not the least of which is because more than 62 percent of the study participants had prior musculoskeletal issues. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these testing and treatment guidelines are made clearer to ensure that older men are receiving the proper care. 

“This is a need for consistent osteoporosis screening recommendations in men,” Dr. Curtis said. “Incorporation of these recommendations in quality-of-care measures for osteoporosis management and post-fracture care are warranted to improve health outcomes in this population. 

“As for the next steps for research in this area, there is a need for better characterization of high-risk patients including existing comorbidities that may have shared etiology or risk factors that may enable earlier identification or treatment,” he said. 

Vitamin D is a powerful supplement for pregnant women. Experts have found that higher levels of the vitamin can lead to better blood pressure outcomes for infants, while a lack of the vitamin can increase the likelihood of children developing ADHD. 

Now, researchers from Seattle Children’s Hospital have found that it can also affect kids’ cognitive development. According to their findings, higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy were linked with higher IQ scores during childhood. 

“Vitamin D deficiency is quite prevalent,” said researcher Melissa Melough. “The good news is there is a relatively easy solution. It can be difficult to get adequate vitamin D through diet, and not everyone can make up for this gap through sun exposure, so a good solution is to take a supplement.” 

Benefits of vitamin D

To understand how vitamin D levels during pregnancy could affect children’s intelligence, the researchers analyzed results from the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) study. The researchers looked at the mothers’ vitamin D levels during pregnancy and then assessed their children’s IQ scores between the ages of four and six years old. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that higher vitamin D levels were linked with higher childhood IQ levels. The researchers believe that vitamin D likely aids in brain development, which can contribute to better cognitive functioning and academic performance. 

Melough noted that 600 international units (IU) is the recommended daily dose of vitamin D. While diet and sunlight are helpful, a supplement is usually a good way for consumers to up their intake and reach these levels. 

Vitamin D deficiency  

Despite the positive associations that were linked with higher levels of vitamin D, the researchers explained that more than 45 percent of the women involved in the study were vitamin D deficient during pregnancy, and this risk was even higher for Black women. 

“Melanin pigment protects the skin against sun damage, but by blocking UV rays, melanin also reduces vitamin D production in the skin,” Melough said. “Because of this, we weren’t surprised to see high rates of vitamin D deficiency among Black pregnant women in our study. Even though many pregnant women take a prenatal vitamin, this may not correct an existing vitamin D deficiency.” 

The researchers hope that these findings highlight the importance of vitamin D during pregnancy and encourage more women to ask for prenatal screenings for vitamin levels to determine who is a prime candidate for a supplement. 

“I hope our work brings greater awareness to this problem, shows the long-lasting implications of prenatal vitamin D for the child and their neurocognitive development, and highlights that there are certain groups providers should be paying closer attention to,” said Melough. “Widespread testing of vitamin D levels is not generally recommended, but I think health care providers should be looking out for those who are at higher risk, including Black women.” 

Vitamin D has countless benefits for consumers, including lowering the risk of cancer and improving exercise ability.

Now, researchers from the American Academy of Neurology have found that taking a vitamin D supplement twice a day could also help consumers keep their vertigo symptoms at bay. 

“Our study suggests that for people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, taking a supplement of vitamin D and calcium is a simple, low-risk way to prevent vertigo from recurring,” said researcher Ji-Soo Kim, PhD. “It is especially effective if you have low vitamin D levels to begin with.” 

Reducing symptoms

The researchers had over 950 participants involved in a study, all of whom were diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. This common type of vertigo creates a dizzying effect when the head is moved in certain positions. The researchers explained that despite some treatment options, the condition is hard to keep away for good. 

For the study, the participants were divided into two groups. Members of one group acted as the control and received no treatment while members of the other group received treatment based on their vitamin D levels. Those with normal levels of vitamin D in the second group also received no treatment, but those with lower levels of vitamin D began a twice-daily supplement regimen of both vitamin D and calcium. 

The researchers reassessed the participants one year after the trial began and learned that vitamin D was effective in reducing the incidence of vertigo episodes. 

Those who started the study with the lowest levels of vitamin D saw the biggest improvements, as they were 45 percent less likely to experience vertigo-related symptoms over the course of the year. Overall, those taking vitamin D were roughly 25 percent less likely to experience a flare-up in one year’s time. 

Finding a successful treatment for vertigo can be incredibly difficult for consumers, but these findings may provide a simple and effective way to reduce the severity of symptoms. 

“Our results are exciting because so far, going to the doctor to have them perform head movements has been the main way we treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo,” Dr. Kim said. “Our study suggests an inexpensive, low-risk treatment like vitamin D and calcium tablets may be effective at preventing this common, and commonly recurring, disorder.” 

Healthy levels of vitamin D

Though vitamin D is incredibly beneficial to consumers’ health, it’s important to note that overdoing it with vitamin D supplements can be harmful in several ways. Previous research shows that too much of the supplement can affect everything from bone health to kidney function. 

It’s important that consumers consult with their doctors before starting a new vitamin regimen. 

Recent studies have highlighted how vitamin D can be effective in boosting everything from immune system health to exercise ability, and now researchers are exploring its effect on cancer risk. 

According to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, healthy levels of vitamin D can protect consumers against the risk of cancer. They also found that for those already struggling with certain types of cancers, having healthy levels of vitamin D can lead to better health outcomes. 

Seeing health improvements

The researchers analyzed several previous studies that have linked vitamin D levels and overall cancer risk. 

Their work revealed that the supplement is effective in protecting consumers from cancer because of the role that vitamin D plays in the immune system. Those who respond the best to vitamin D -- meaning they require the lowest doses to reap the largest benefits -- are likely to be the most protected against cancer.  

However, varying levels of vitamin D could make consumers more susceptible to certain kinds of cancer. 

The researchers learned that both prostate and breast cancer were greatly affected by vitamin D levels. Consumers with either strain of the disease who also had low vitamin D levels had poorer health outcomes. 

The researchers’ work also revealed that higher levels of vitamin D could help consumers prevent a diagnosis. Lymphoma, leukemia, and colorectal cancer were all less likely when vitamin D levels were in a healthy range. 

Finding the right balance

While many consumers opt to take a vitamin D supplement as part of their daily regimen, the researchers explained that the vitamin affects everybody differently. Too much vitamin D has been linked with several side effects, including poorer bone health and kidney failure.

Incorporating more vitamin D can come with several health benefits, but it’s important that consumers are mindful of how the supplement can affect them.