Researchers from Zhengzhou University in China carried out a meta-analysis to assess the association of dietary consumption of vitamin C and the risk of hip fracture. In the study, they analyzed data from a total of six previous studies on vitamin C and fracture risk, with more than 10,000 study participants in all. For this study, they observed the vitamin C intake of 2,899 patients with hip fracture. Then, they compared the results with 7,908 healthy volunteers of a similar age. The meta-analysis on vitamin C and its effect on bones revealed that vitamin C consumption, whether by eating foods rich in vitamin C or drinking their juice, make bones stronger and prevents fractures.
The findings of the study revealed that the risk of a hip fracture can be reduced by five percent for every 50 milligrams intake of vitamin C per day, which is equal to nearly one medium-sized orange or one-fourth of a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. This means that one eight-ounce glass of orange juice could possibly lower the risk by 20 percent, while two glasses could reduce the risk by 40 percent. The researchers concluded that increasing the amount of vitamin C in your diet can reduce the risk of hip fracture. To strengthen bones, vitamin C works by triggering cells known as osteoblasts to become mature bone cells.
“Our results strongly support the idea that increasing dietary vitamin C can decrease the risk of hip fracture,” the researchers wrote.
The study was published in the journal Osteoporosis International.
The increasing incidence of hip fractures
The study is relevant as more people suffer from bone fractures. Every year, osteoporosis causes over 8.9 million fractures in people all over the world. Osteoporosis, as defined by the National Institute on Aging of the United States, is a disease that impairs bones and make them fragile. The bones are living tissues, and in order to keep them strong, the body breaks down old bones and replaces them with new bone tissues. However, as you get older, at around the age of 30, bone mass stops increasing. Furthermore, around the age of 40 to 50, lesser bones may be replaced while more bones may be broken down.
Bone fractures caused by osteoporosis are most common in the hip, spinal cord, and wrist.
Osteoporosis is commonly experienced by older people, especially older women, although it can develop at any age. Globally, one in every three women aged 50 and above will experience a bone fracture, while one in every five men over age 50 will experience the same. In the U.S., more than 300,000 people aged 65 and above are hospitalized for hip fractures every year.
Vitamin C and its functions
Vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of tissues in every part of the body. It is used to form a key protein that makes skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. It is also used to heal wounds and form scar tissue, repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth, and help in the absorption of iron. The recommended vitamin C intake for male adults is 90 milligrams per day, while female adults need 75 milligrams of vitamin C a day. Aside from orange and orange juice, other citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato juice, and potatoes are major sources of vitamin C to the American diet. (Related: Vitamin C helps eliminate chronic disease.)
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