Washington, Apr 24 : A new study has found that low vitamin D levels in older adults may lead to them facing an increased risk of poor physical performance and disability.

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin is naturally produced when skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Foods such as fortified milk, juice and cereals also contain vitamin D, but it is difficult to get enough through diet alone. It not only plays a role in bone health, but possibly also in protecting against diabetes, cancer, colds and tuberculosis.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers lead by Denise Houston at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

As part of the study, researchers analysed 976 people who were 65 years and older from two towns in the Chianti area of Italy by a data from the InCHIANTI study, which was collected from Sept. 1998 through March 2000. The data evaluated factors contributing to the decline of mobility in late life. The mean age of participants was 74.8 years.

Participants completed a short physical performance test of their walking speed, ability to stand from a chair and ability to maintain their balance in progressively more challenging positions. In addition, handgrip strength, a predictor of future disability, was measured using a hand-held dynamometer.

The researchers found that physical performance and grip strength were about five to 10 percent lower in those who had low levels of vitamin D. After looking at other variables that could influence the results, such as body mass index, physical activity, the season of the year, mental abilities, health conditions and anaemia, the results held true.

Vitamin D plays an important role in muscle function, so it is plausible that low levels of the vitamin could result in lower muscle strength and physical performance.

“With a growing older population, we need to identify better ways to reduce the risk of disability. Our study showed a significant relationship between low vitamin D levels in older adults and poorer physical performance,” Houston said.

“Recent findings showing the importance of vitamin D status on multiple health outcomes underscore the need for more research on the effects of low vitamin D levels in elderly populations,” Houston said.

“But it’s also possible that those with poor physical performance had less exposure to sunlight resulting in low vitamin D levels,” she added.

“Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other conditions such as cancer prevention. The current recommendations are based primarily on vitamin D’s effects on bone health,” Houston said.

The findings of the research were published in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. (ANI)