(NaturalHealth365) Reducing the risk of hip fractures is easier than you might think, according to a Framingham Osteoporosis Study. You can enhance bone health by taking a vitamin you should be taking anyway: vitamin C.

This finding comes out of a 17 year follow-up of the Framingham Osteoporosis Study.  And, the message is quite clear: those taking the highest amounts of vitamin C showed a hip fracture rate that was significantly lower than those taking the least of this powerful antioxidant.

The threat of hip fractures get dramatically reduced with a simple change to lifestyle habits

The original Framingham Study is a well-known U.S. medical study – started in 1948 – to study the risk of heart disease.  The original pool of subjects included 5,209 men and women.

In the bone health portion of this study: the subjects were Caucasian middle class individuals 67-95 years of age, with 1,402 of these individuals included in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, starting in 1988 and ending in 2005.  The final results included 976 people, with 61 percent of the participants female.  All study participants completed food questionnaires and other inquiries regularly from 1988 – 2005.

Over the 17 year study period, hip fracture rates were compared with the amount of vitamin C taken.  Both supplement form and dietary vitamin C were considered.

For those consuming an ‘average’ amount of vitamin C – which was considered just 313 mg/day – the results were stunning, to say the least.  This group showed an extremely significant reduction in hip fracture risk – by an impressive 44 percent.  What’s ‘stunning’ is the small amount of vitamin C per day that produced this result.

These results simply add to the overwhelming amount of data that shows us how vitamin C can support healthy bones.  At NaturalHealth365, we often write about its health benefits because we feel this nutrient still gets overlooked (too often) and its benefits can not be overstated.

Key point to remember: Vitamin C is not produced naturally in the body

People taking more than 75 mg of vitamin C per day – in supplement form – had less than 8 hip fractures per 1,000 persons each year, compared with nearly 14 in the same size group not taking vitamin C supplements.  While there was a protective effect from getting vitamin C from dietary sources alone, those taking supplements demonstrated the most benefits.

The study results underscore other research results that link vitamin C intake with better bone health.

Unlike other mammals, humans require vitamin C for collagen formation.  And, as you may know, collagen is a protein that comprises more than 90 percent of the structure of the skeleton.

But, we must remember that vitamin C is not produced by the body naturally.  And, with so many environmental toxins and stresses around us – we need the free radical fighting – health supportive qualities of vitamin C more than ever.  But, we can only get this from diet and supplementation.

In addition to bone health, vitamin C enhances heart, brain and immune system health

Enhanced bone health is one of a long list of vitamin C benefits. This super vitamin can greatly enhance immune system strength – which is foundational to so many other aspects of our health.  In addition, vitamin C is a wonderful antioxidant to help reduce the risk of chronic inflammation in the body by neutralizing the threat of free radical damage.

Vitamin C intake has also been associated with better heart health, blood pressure regulation and a lower risk of dementia.  High dose vitamin C can even help to prevent cancerous cell growth and fight off bacterial (and viral) infections.

Editor’s note: The NaturalHealth365 Store offers the finest quality vitamin C powder on the market.  Click here to order today.

Sources for this article include:

Naturalhealthresearch.org
Springer.com
Naturalhealth365.com