By Michael A. Smith, MDWe’ve suspected for a long time that vitamin D deficiencies can reduce the creation of new bone mass. Now, new research is showing that low vitamin D levels can induce the premature aging of existing bone – making it more brittle and prone to fracture.
In a study, researchers compared bone obtained from 15 normal individuals and 15 men and women with deficient serum vitamin D levels of less than 20 ng/ml.
They were looking for changes on the surface of bone consistent with impaired bone remodeling – called osteoidosis. Normal bone remodeling, which is a cycle of bone breakdown and repair, is necessary for preserving healthy bones as we age.
The researchers found that low vitamin D is associated with impaired remodeling (osteoidosis). Further testing revealed that osteoidosis associated with low vitamin D increased the initiation of bone cracks by 31% and growth of the cracks by 22%.
This means that reversing a vitamin D deficiency is important not just for preserving bone mass, but also for protecting bones from premature aging.
Watch our own Dr. Michael Smith explain in the short video below:
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