Private MD News

Older women may need vitamin D supplements

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Post-menopausal women may benefit from taking vitamin D supplements and seeking lab testing to make sure they have adequate levels. Experts say that these individuals need the nutrient more than anyone else.

Vitamin D plays a critical role in the body's ability to absorb calcium and build strong bones. This particularly important for post-menopausal women because they are much more likely than any other group to experience weakened bones and, consequently, fractures.

"A post menopausal woman who is elderly and doesn't need many calories, she may need to take some supplemental vitamin D, because vitamin D is not found in a lot of foods," UT Southwest Medical Center nutritionist Susan Rodder told local news station KERA.

She pointed out that vitamin D can be found in salmon and sardines, as well as fortified milk and cereals. However, even if a post-menopausal woman eats plenty of these foods, it may still difficult for her to maintain adequate levels of the nutrient.

The Office of Dietary Supplements states that a woman over the over the age of 70 should consume 800 international units of vitamin D each day.