> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# How much vitamin D do we need to prevent fractures?
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_d_fractures_0913120640/
- Published: 2012-09-13T19:39:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:05:09.000Z
- Description: A meta-analysis of 11 trials covering 31,022 people, average age 76, found vitamin D supplements cut hip fracture risk 10% and nonvertebral fracture 7%. Only the highest-intake quartile, averaging 800 IU a day, did better: 30% lower hip fracture risk and 14% lower nonvertebral risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Thursday Sept 13, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- We all know vitamin D is good for our health. But how much do we older people need to take to maintain bone health or prevent fractures? A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that men and women aged 65 years or older need to take greater than 800 International Units per day to prevent hip fracture and any nonvertebral fracture.

Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich and colleagues conducted the study and found the reduction in risk of fracture only in individuals who had the highest intake of vitamin D.

The meta-analysis was based on data from 31,022 men and women at a mean age of 76 years with 81 percent women of whom, 1111 incident hip fractures and 3770 novertebral fractures were identified in 11 double-blind, randomized, controlled trials of oral vitamin D supplementation with or without calcium. 

Men and women who were randomly assigned to receive vitamin d supplements with or without calcium were 10 percent less likely to suffer hip fracture and 7 percent less likely to experience nonvertebral fracture, compared with those receiving placebo or calcium alone.

Those in the highest quartile of vitamin D (on average 800 IU per day ranging from 792 to 2000 IU per day), were 30 percent less likely than those in the lowest quartile of vitamin D intake to suffer hip fracture and 14 percent less likely to have any nonvertebral fracture.

The association of high doses of vitamin D with reduced fracture risk was consistently seen in all subgroups defined by age, type of dwelling, baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and additional calcium intake.

The researchers concluded "High-dose vitamin D supplementation (≥800 IU daily) was somewhat favorable in the prevention of hip fracture and any nonvertebral fracture in persons 65 years of age or older."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007, there were 281,000 hospital admissions for hip fracture among people aged 65 or older. The number will reach half a million in 2040.

Fracture is a serious medical problem in older people. A large proportion of fall deaths are caused by complications following a hip fracture. Or one out of five hip fracture patients dies within a year of their injury, according to the CDC.

Vitamin D is known to protect against bone disease. But the Institute of Medicine recommends 600 IU of vitamin D for all age groups except for those older than 70, it recommends 800 IU per day. The recommendations by the Institute of Medicine have drawn criticism from world famous vitamin D experts.

Although the current study found 800 IU per day can help reduce risk of fracture significantly, a much higher dose is needed to prevent all types of diseases, according to vitamin D researchers. More than 100 health conditions including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and depression, have been associated with vitamin D deficiency.

According to World famous vitamin D researcher[ Reinhold Vieth](https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin%5Fd%5Frecommendation%5F0912120858/) of University of Toronto in Canada, the minimum daily intake of vitamin D an adult needs is about 3000 IU. And remember that up to 10,000 IU per day is generally considered safe. 

Expousre of the face and bare hands to the sun for 15 to 20 minutes at the hottest hours of the day may give you 10,000 IU of vitamin D. But if you work indoors, you can take vitamin D supplements. Just make sure that the vitamin D pills you take do not contain harmful additives and fillers.