According to a new report, vitamin D supplementation can significantly increase muscle strength and reduce the loss of body muscle mass in women years after menopause. Researchers found older women who received vitamin D supplements experienced a significant increase (+25.3%) in muscle strength, while those receiving a placebo lost an average of 6.8% of their muscle mass during the course of the multi-year study. The study also revealed that those who did not receive vitamin D supplements were nearly two times more likely to experience a fall. Dr. Wulf H. Utian, the Executive Director of The North American Menopause Society adds, “While this study is unlikely to decide the debate over Vitamin D, it provides further evidence to support the use of vitamin D supplements by postmenopausal women in an effort to reduce frailty and an increased risk of falling.”
The North American Menopause Society, September 2015