The Truth About Vitamin A and Osteoporosis

The Truth About Vitamin A and Osteoporosis

By Candice Hughes

If you are researching the connection between Vitamin A and osteoporosis, you will probably find plenty of authors telling you to avoid consuming much Vitamin A. Would it surprise you to know that people consuming their native diets ate foods that gave them about ten times more Vitamin A than is currently recommended? In fact, these people all had perfect teeth and perfect bone structure, along with very strong bones.

Osteoporosis and menopause seem to become health concerns at the same time. Osteoporosis is a serious disease that strikes many women, and you may find that you or someone you love is suffering from osteoporosis. You may know someone who fell and broke their hip, and never recovered. It is frightening to think that we may one day lose our ability to care for ourselves and have to become dependent on someone else.

In the search for solutions that could prevent osteoporosis, you will find many articles that caution you to watch your Vitamin A intake, because it has been shown to be a risk factor in osteoporosis.

But is the information accurate? Is it complete? These are two questions you should always ask when reading information about research studies on health.

Many reports of studies on Vitamin A and osteoporosis have concluded that excess Vitamin A leads to increased risk for getting the disease. Unfortunately these reports do not analyze various other factors revealed in the studies that could shed more light on the reality of vitamin and nutrient intake, and the risk for developing osteoporosis.

In this case, the discrepancy comes to light because there was a dentist, Dr. Weston Price, who traveled to different countries in the 1940's and discovered that indigenous people still eating their native diets had radiant health. These discoveries included observations of perfect bone structure and strong bones, along with the discovery that these people consumed far higher amounts of vitamin A (not carotenoids, found in plant foods, but preformed vitamin A, found in animal foods), than the amounts recommended today.

The Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting the word out about Dr. Price's nutritional discoveries, has provided a more complete analysis on the various studies of Vitamin A and osteoporosis. In reviewing the studies from a different perspective, it becomes clear that certain relationships occur between nutrients or other substances, such as estrogen, that affect the outcomes of the studies.

For example, people who consumed more Vitamin A and less Vitamin D had a higher risk for osteoporosis. This is because Vitamins A and D are required in certain ratios to obtain optimum health. Another factor that affected outcomes for Vitamin A and osteoporosis was whether or not post-menopausal women were taking estrogen. Those that were could consume more Vitamin A relative to Vitamin D without risk. Those that were not taking estrogen had increased risk when they consumed higher amounts of Vitamin A without more Vitamin D.

In fact, the connection between Vitamin A and osteoporosis is a positive one, as long as you consume the right amount of Vitamin D to go along with your Vitamin A. This is just one way to prevent or improve osteoporosis.

Candice Hughes is the owner of Natural Approaches to Menopause.com For more information about osteoporosis and menopause, and which foods and supplements to use for Vitamin A and Osteoporosis, visit Vitamin A and Osteoporosis

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