You know how older people tend to look thinner, have weaker grip strength, experience more exhaustion, and have low levels of activity, including slow walking speeds? There is some science to support the theory that not getting sufficient vitamin D could make someone more fragile sooner.
A 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients done on mice found that low levels of vitamin D could cause someone to become frail. Granted that this is an area that has to be tested more expansively and on humans, first author of the study, Kenneth L. Seldeen, told Medical News Today, “We found that in aged mice, low levels of vitamin D [resulted] in physical declines, such as reduced grip strength and grip endurance — the ability to sustain a grip — and that they started developing as soon as 1 month after reduction of vitamin D intake.”
Interestingly, the study also found that consuming more than what’s recommended (hypersufficient intake) is what contributed to less frailty. What does this mean for vitamin D intake? Just how much should we be consuming to avoid vitamin D deficiency?