May/June 2004
HEALTH BYTES

Vitamin D may reduce arthritis risk

      According to the results of a new study, women with the most dietary and supplemental vitamin D are one-third less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, possibly by positively affecting immune response. In the study, researchers analyzed dietary data from nearly 30,000 women between the ages of 55 and 69. The results noted that women with the most dietary and supplemental vitamin D had the lowest risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, dietary intakes of at least 290 IU/day were linked with a 28 percent reduction in the risk of rheumatoid arthritis; supplemental intakes of at least 400 IU/day were linked with a 34 percent reduction.

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