At a meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, scientists presented findings showing that women with higher vitamin D levels had significantly less risk of non-traumatic bone fracture during menopause. To study the relationship between vitamin D, menopause, and fracture, researchers examined data from 1,620 women with a mean age of 48.5. They also looked to see which women suffered non-traumatic fractures (fractures from falling from standing height or less) around nine years after the original data was collected. Here’s what they discovered:

• Women with vitamin D levels above 20 ng/ml reduced their risk of fracture by as much as 45% compared with those with lower vitamin D levels.
• For women who were not yet post-menopausal, each 10 ng/ml increase in vitamin D levels correlated to a 25% reduction in fracture risk, even after adjusting for bone mineral density and body mass index.

This is among the first research to look at vitamin D and fracture risk in menopausal women specifically—a group at high risk for bone loss. Upon reviewing the research, one doctor stated that the results emphasized the need for vitamin D supplementation during the transition to menopause.

Source: Medscape