Vitamin D enhances elderly mobility

[shaws]

I have just read the following re Vitamin D - two excerpts:-

"The findings carried out by University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland mirror the UK Department of Health guidelines, which deem those over the age of 65 as an ‘at risk group’ for vitamin D deficiency, and recommends regular supplementation

and

Diseases related to Vitamin D deficiency, including Multiple Sclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, bone diseases such as osteoporosis and a growing number of internal cancers are believed to cost the UK taxpayer £29 billion annually – more than a quarter of the NHS budget.."

How many people over 65 get Vitamin D supplementation?

betteryou.com/blog/view/vit...

[SAMBS]

I do, 100 000 D3 monthly from Doc on prescription, it's a slow release one, I'm not convinced as to whether it is sufficient though for a whole month, as most here seem to supplement daily with.

I'm better with liquid meds than solid ones, I get reflux just taking 112.5 mcg of Levo in the mornings.

[Treepie]

Yes,but did you see the report that old folk on high vitaminD broke more limbs than the control group. One suggestion was that they became more lively leading them to fall over more! Just can't win.

[Hidden in reply to Treepie]

nutrition generally in care homes is a minefield. My mother's was full of hats they had to wear out to protect them from sun, and there seemed to me to be way too much pastry and bread and too little protein. vit d was never mentioned. I agree, it's another needed campaign.

[shaws in reply to Hidden]

From the link above, I read it as the doctors supplement those over 65 and I doubt that happens. It's no good waiting till people are feeble.

[Dillongirl in reply to Treepie]

Have to laugh BUT I seemed to have more accidents when I retired - not because I was getting older but because I was more active than my semi sedentary job. Went ice skating (first time for 40 years) slipped, cracked my head and had concussion. Later that year cycled 32 miles exhausted - 2 days later fell over during an outdoor gym session and broke my wrist. Reckon some of us need to go into training before retirement.

[Joyia]

Don't get me started on Care Home food, of course some must be better than others but the experience I had when working in one was dire, the cheapest food was sourced, cheapest rubbishy cakes bought for afternoon tea, synthetic custard and gravies, just awful, there cannot have been much nutritional value in any of it.

[shaws in reply to Joyia]

Oh! that's terrible. There should be a law to provide good nourishment for people in care homes and it need not be expensive. Just imagine, having no choice and awful food. Thankfully there are still some good ones around.

[MariLiz]

Well my low level was picked up by the endocrinologist I was seeing privately. I am supplementing it myself, my GP has never asked for it to be checked on a blood test.