Rally admits he’s skeptical about most supplements—but vitamin D? That’s different. The research is solid: stronger bones, better balance, fewer falls, and recent studies even show it might slow aging at the cellular level. But here’s the catch: the dose matters more than you think. Rally explains.
Episode Transcript
Hello there beautiful people! Welcome to the Silver Beast Podcast!
Hey, did you remember to take your vitamins today? Sorry, don’t mean to sound like your mother…but there is one vitamin in particular that might be a good idea to add to your daily routine if your doctor says it’s ok….and for more reasons than you might think…including slowing down the aging process.
Hey there…it’s Rally Preston. Your 70-year-old host with the most overflowing pill organizer you’ve ever seen. Now most of them are vitamins and supplements…and do they all work? Honestly, I don’t know…but there’s one vitamin I take daily that’s backed by solid science…and that’s Vitamin D.
So there’s some new research out there now showing just how big a deal getting enough Vitamin D is – especially for us older adults. I think you’ll definitely want to hear this.
But before we jump in, I gotta say I’m not a doctor of anything, and this podcast is not intended as medical advice…it’s just helpful – I hope! – information for you to consider. Always talk to your healthcare provider before adding any new supplement to your health routine.
Alright, now let’s rock and roll.…
So first, what exactly is Vitamin D?
Well, technically, Vitamin D isn’t really a vitamin. It’s a prohormone that gets converted in your body to an active hormone.
Your body can actually make Vitamin D from sunlight, Step outside, soak up some UV rays, and just like that your body makes it automatically.
But there’s a little problem with this Do-it-Yourself version of Vitamin D…
As we get older, our skin gets, uhm, a little less enthusiastic about making Vitamin D. Not like when we were younger.
So we’re not making as much Vitamin D as we used to. Plus, a lot of us aren’t spending as much time outside anymore, so there’s that too.
And then there’s our kidneys and liver – they’re supposed to help convert Vitamin D into the active form our body can use – and well, they’re not quite as efficient as they were in our younger days either.
So all of this means that a whole lot of us older adults are walking around with low Vitamin D levels and we don’t even know it. In fact, the research says more than 40 percent of adults are deficient in Vitamin D. Forty percent! So yeah, not so good.
So, alright, what does Vitamin D actually DO for us?
Well… it turns out, quite a bit.
Let’s start with the obvious one – your bones. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which keeps your bones strong. Without enough Vitamin D, bones can get soft and brittle, and that’s a condition called osteomalacia. I think I said that right.
But here’s why this matters so much for us Silver Beasties. A hip fracture in older adults is serious stuff. Studies show that people over 75 who are hospitalized with hip fractures are three and a half times more likely to die within the next year compared to folks who didn’t break anything. Not great odds there. So, of course, you want strong bones…and Vitamin D should help you out there.
And here’s something really interesting that came out of Harvard recently – researchers found that taking Vitamin D actually slowed down the aging process at the cellular level. They were looking at these things called telomeres – uh, the caps on the end of your chromosomes – think of them kinda like the plastic tips on your shoelaces if you want a visual there.
Anyway, as we age, these telomeres get shorter and shorter at the ends of your chromosomes. But in this study, people taking 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D daily showed less than half the telomere shortening compared to those taking a placebo. That’s pretty amazing, right?
So basically, Vitamin D might actually help to slow down how fast we’re aging.
And there’s still more about Vitamin D…
It turns out your body has Vitamin D receptors all over the place. In your muscles, your brain, your heart, your immune system…Vitamin D works its magic in all them…helping out with everything from cognitive function to cardiovascular health.
And one of the big things researchers have found is that Vitamin D helps reduce falls in older adults. Say what?
Man, I trip over stuff all the time, including my own two feet. …So Vitamin D actually helps your muscles work better. It makes them stronger, and that’s how it helps improve your balance.
Studies show that older adults taking 800 to 1,000 IU of Vitamin D per day had up to a 19 percent lower risk of falling compared to people not taking it. And when you combine Vitamin D with calcium? That reduces your risk of hip fractures by 16 percent, the studies say.
Oh, and there’s this recent study out of Intermountain Health that looked at people who’d already had one heart attack. They found that treating these folks with higher doses of Vitamin D cut their risk of a second heart attack in half. Wow! Now, that study was just for heart attack survivors, so it might not apply to all of us. But still, pretty remarkable.
Okay, so how much Vitamin D do the experts recommend we take?
Alright, this is where it gets a little tricky, because – big surprise – none of them can agree on the perfect amount.
The National Academy of Medicine says adults over 70 should get 800 IU per day. The Endocrine Society – those are the folks who study hormones – they suggest people over 75 might want to take 1,500 to 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D daily, especially if you’re at risk for a deficiency.
Now here’s something important, and this is where things get even more interesting. Recent research has found that more is not always better when it comes to Vitamin D. There was this big study at Johns Hopkins where they tested different Vitamin D doses on people 70 and older who were at risk for falls. They found the folks taking super high doses of Vitamin D – like 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day – actually had more falls than the people taking moderate doses around 1,000 IU. So there’s likely a sweet spot here somewhere. You want enough, but not too much.
Most experts say between 800 to 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D per day is a reasonable and safe dose for most older adults. But again, talk to your doctor –especially if you’re taking other medications or have health conditions like kidney disease.
How do you rev up your Vitamin D supply? There are a few different ways…
First, there’s sunlight. Maybe not the most efficient way for us older adults, but getting outside a few times a week around midday for up to 20 minutes can help your skin soak up some Vitamin D. It’s stored in fat cells to use later, so you don’t need to get outdoors every day.
The second way to get more Vitamin D is through food. Now, there aren’t a ton of foods naturally loaded with Vitamin D, but some good ones are fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and tuna. Eggs have a good amount. And also fortified foods – a lot of milk, orange juice, and some cereals have Vitamin D added to them. Just check those labels.
And the third way, Vitamin D supplements. This is probably the easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough all year round. You can find Vitamin D supplements pretty much anywhere – and most are pretty inexpensive too. Just go with a source you trust.
And here’s a tip, look for Vitamin D3 specifically – it’s more potent and effective at raising and maintaining your blood levels than Vitamin D2 – but they both work.
Okay Silver Beasties, here’s your Vitamin D action plan…
First – Talk to your doctor. Maybe get your Vitamin D levels checked. It’s a simple blood test.
Second – Consider adding a Vitamin D supplement to your daily routine. Something in that 800 to 2,000 IU range is usually a safe bet, but again, check with your doc first.
Third – Get outside when you can. Just 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine a few times a week can help boost your Vitamin D levels. And by the way, you don’t need direct sunlight – UV rays bounce around everywhere, and will still catch up with you in the shade.
And fourth – Eat foods with Vitamin D when possible. Fatty fish, fortified milk, orange juice, eggs. Just make some of them a part of your regular rotation.
So here’s the Bottom Line here, Silver Beasties…
Vitamin D is one of those simple things that can make a real difference in how we age. Stronger bones, better balance, reduced risk of falls, possible heart and cognitive benefits, and…even slowing down aging a bit at the cellular level.
And look, I always hesitate to talk about vitamins. Too many conflicting opinions. Well, I’m making an exception for Vitamin D…because I believe there’s some real science, uh, real proof behind this one.
So there you have it, Silver Beasties. Your body’s been working hard for you for a while now – you might want to consider helping it out with some extra Vitamin D – but just check in with your doc first.
Alright, all I got. You have a great day…and I will catch you next time on The Silver Beast Podcast! Take care!