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Menopausal women consume insufficient levels of vitamin D

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Women going through menopause may benefit from vitamin D testing, as a new study has shown that many individuals going through this stage of life have insufficient levels of the nutrient, which may put them at risk for developing serious chronic diseases.

A Spanish team of researchers surveyed more 3,574 women between the ages of 45 and 68 about their average daily diet. Overall, the results showed that nearly all participants received the recommended daily allowance for all vitamins and nutrients except vitamins D and E.

In fact, none of the groups studied even reached 50 percent of their recommended daily dose of vitamin D. The researchers said that such dramatic deficiencies could put individuals at a much higher risk for chronic health conditions like osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease and several types of cancer.

Given these risk, the team said it is important for women going through menopause to take steps to consume a healthier diet, which may help address nutritional imbalances and reduce the risk of disease.

"A diet with less fat and protein that is high in vegetables, nuts, and carbohydrate-rich foods will even out the energy balance and corrects levels of vitamin D and E," the researchers wrote in their report.