Take Vitamin A, But Not Too Much

Studies Show Excess Vitamin A from Retinol Increases Hip Fracture Risk

Several medical research studies have found that avoiding hip fractures – an increasingly common injury and cause of disability among seniors – may be a matter of balance.

Not just keeping your balance to avoid falling down, but also maintaining the correct balance of vitamin A in your diet.

Vitamin A from Retinol
In 2002, Harvard Medical School researchers reported that high levels of vitamin A raise the risk of hip fractures for postmenopausal women. Since then, several other studies have linked excess retinol, the active form of vitamin A, to diminished bone strength for both men and women, and a higher risk of fractures – especially hip fractures.

Your body needs vitamin A to maintain a strong immune system and healthy vision, teeth, gums, nerves and other tissues, but studies have consistently shown that excess retinol stimulates cells that break down bone and interferes with cells that build new bone tissue. Retinol is found in many multivitamin supplements as well as liver, eggs, many dairy products, fish liver oils, and vitamin A fortified foods such as cereals and skim milk.

The risks of excess retinol can be especially high for older people, because they may have trouble metabolizing retinol properly and are more likely to experience falls that can lead to hip fractures.

The Advantage of Beta-carotene
On the other hand, vitamin A derived from beta-carotene doesn’t carry the same risks as retinol. It’s not possible for you to get too much vitamin A from beta carotene, because your body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A only as needed.

Many brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain beta-carotene. Spinach, pumpkin, squash, carrots, yams, red peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupe, oranges, apricots and peaches are all excellent sources of beta carotene.

5 Tips for Healthy Bones
To maintain healthy bones, follow these simple tips:

• Don’t take vitamin A supplements.
• If you take a multivitamin, find one that gets part or all of its vitamin A from beta-carotene. If the amounts aren’t listed, call the manufacturer at the toll-free number on the label and ask.
• Perform weight-bearing exercises regularly to improve bone density. For weight-bearing exercise ideas, see Senior Exercise: Strength
• Get 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables that contain beta-carotene.