Vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of urinary incontinence in women, according to a new study.

The study, headed by Dr. Samuel Badalian of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and recently published in the journal of Obstetrics & Gynegology, says that urinary incontinence is among many pelvic floor disorders that are exacerbated by low levels of vitamin d.

The research, which included more than 1800 adult women, showed that as many as 82% of the participants had low levels of the vitamin. However those who had pelvic floor disorders and/or incontinence had levels significantly lower than those of the rest of the group.

The study concluded that increased vitamin D levels are definitely associated with a lower risk of pelvic floor disorders, and the risk of urinary incontinence in older women is as much as 45% lower among women with sufficient levels of the vitamin. Further research on the use of D vitamin in the prevention and treatment of pelvic floor disorders is definitely warranted, the researchers said.

The term “pelvic floor disorders” refers to a number of health problems that occur when the muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic area are weakened or injured by pregnancy, vaginal delivery, surgery, illness, aging, and other factors. As many as a third of all women experience pelvic floor disorders some point in their life.

Pelvic organ prolapse, which occurs when the pelvic muscles are too weak to hold the organs in place, is one of the most common pelvic floor disorders among women. Prolapse frequently leads to urinary incontinence, which happens when the bladder “drops” out of its normal place.

Vitamin D’s importance in preventing prolapse, incontinence, and other pelvic floor disorders is related to its role in keeping muscles strong, the researchers said.

Though the vitamin is primarily associated with bone strength and health, it has also proven to be crucial to muscular development and the maintenance of strong, resilient connective tissue.

The Syracuse study is the latest of many to emphasize the importance of D vitamin in women’s overall health. A 2008 University of Pittsburgh study concluded that women with low levels of the vitamin are an astounding 70% more likely to suffer hip fractures than those with sufficient levels.

In addition, keeping Vitamin D levels high is known to help prevent bacterial infections during pregnancy, and sufficiency of the vitamin is closely associated with preventing and treating depression.

Vitamin D has even been associated with the prevention of breast and other cancers in women. A 2008 study by the German Cancer Research Center concluded that women with extreme deficiency had a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer than those with adequate levels. In addition, a four-year clinical trial reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduced all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

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The study, which monitored inner city children between six and 12 years of age, indicated that those who experienced allergy and asthma symptoms also had low levels of vitamin D. The key allergy-related benefits of the vitamin are in in the way it effects the immune system, the researchers said.

Exposure to allergens and irritants can trigger the immune system to produce chemicals called cytokines, which cause inflammatory allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. D vitamin, which has substantial anti-inflammatory properties, helps regulate the production of these chemicals.

The study is slated to continue with clinical trials in Pittsburgh and other cities, in which inner city children will be given supplemental vitamin D. The Pittsburgh researchers said that as yet no therapeutic dosage has been established, and noted that age is only one of several factors that could influence the amount of supplementation needed.

The Pittsburgh study is the latest of many to confirm the connection between D vitamin deficiency and allergies, asthma, and related conditions. A 2008 Harvard Medical School study that included more than 600 asthmatic children concluded that low levels of the vitamin were definitely tied to the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. The Harvard study also showed that children who were deficient in vitamin D were many times more likely to have allergies.

Vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as a serious health problem all over the world. In 2004 the US Federal Government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that only 23% of adults and teens in the US had sufficient blood levels of the vitamin, which is crucial to many aspects of health including bone strength, heart health, and immune function. The deficiency was most pronounced in the African American population, only three percent of whom had adequate blood levels of the vitamin.

In 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics literally doubled the amount recommended for children from 200 IU to 400 IU per day, starting with the first day of life. Studies by The Center for Global Child Health, headquartered at at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, indicate that more than half of all infants are born with a D vitamin deficiency, and more than a third of all mothers are deficient in the vitamin when they give birth.

Vitamin D in known as the sunshine vitamin because even relatively brief exposure to sun triggers the body to manufacture its own supply. It is found naturally in relatively few foods (primarily oily fish and egg yolks) but a number of food products including milk and other dairy products are fortified with the vitamin.

According to Centers for Disease Control statistics, close to three quarters of a million people die of heart and vascular disease in the US each year. The American Heart Association says that there are more than 1.2 million heart attacks each year, and more than 7 million Americans have suffered heart attacks.

The older we get, the greater the risk of heart disease and the lower the odds for complete recovery from a heart attack. But while some risk factors such as age and family history are out of our control, there are many things we can do to lower our risk.

Maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D could play a major role in preventing heart disease, particularly in older people. A recent study by the University of Warwick concluded that there is a strong association between high levels of Vitamin D and a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease.

The research, which involved the review of a total of 28 studies with close to 100,000 participants, determined that middle aged and elderly people with high levels of D vitamin were 33% less likely to develop heart and circulatory problems.

This conclusion confirms the findings of more than two decades of research on the importance of vitamin D benefits for heart health. Vitamin D deficiency has been strongly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, heart failure, and artheriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Though it is most commonly thought of as important to bone strength, Vitamin D has been proven to play an important role in many areas of health. Its primary function is to facilitate the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, which are crucial to maintaining immune function, skeletal and muscular strength, and skin resilience.

But ongoing research is suggesting that vitamin D benefits may go far beyond those already recognized. Epidemiologic studies in the United States and Europe have shown an inverse relationship between levels of the vitamin and the risk of numerous diseases, including several types of cancer.

In addition, both animal studies and clinical trials indicate that vitamin D sufficiency may help protect against several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.

The body can manufacture vitamin D, and even brief exposure to sunlight will trigger its production. However, dietary sources of the vitamin are relatively limited (oily fish, egg yolks, and vitamin D-fortified milk are the most common dietary sources) and serious vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as a global problem.

The National Academy of Sciences nutritional guidelines recommend vitamin D intake equalling 200 IU for children and adults up to age 50, 400 IU for adults ages 51-70, and 600 IU for adults over 70.

The study, sponsored by the Public Health Agency of Canada, began in 2008. It originally focused on the role that the vitamin plays in severe seasonal influenza in general, but PHAC recently announced that the study will now be adapted to include the N1H1 or Swine flu virus.

The study will build on existing research that started in the 1940s, looking for an association between D vitamin levels and serious seasonal influenza. Decades of early studies and a growing body of epidemiological evidence indicate that low levels of the vitamin are definitely correlated with susceptibility to flu viruses.

PHEA said the current study will probably be continued through three flu seasons in order to collect sufficient sample data. Ultimately, the goal is to see if the vitamin can be used to mitigate severe seasonal influenza, the PHEA announcement said.

The N1H1 virus, which is a substrain of a virus commonly found in pigs, is transmitted from person to person in the same way that other flu viruses are transmitted. Symptoms of the N1H1 virus are also the same as symptoms of other flu strains and include headache, coughing, chills, fever, muscle pain, weakness, and general discomfort.

In most cases the virus is relatively mild, but as with all seasonal flu strains, the very young, the very old, and people with underlying heath conditions can be very much at risk.

The global outbreak of N1H1 virus began in Mexico in April, 2009 and spread rapidly. In June the World Health Organization declared the outbreak to be a pandemic. The virus spread through the southern hemisphere with unprecedented speed, and at the same time cases were confirmed throughout the US and other countries.

The virus has been confirmed in every state in the US. On September 3 the CDC reported more than 9,000 people hospitalized because of the virus, and said a total of 583 deaths were attributed to the flu virus in the US.

Concerns remain that a variation of the virus will recirculate through the world during the upcoming flu season. In late August the WHO predicted a huge increase of cases worldwide throughout the remainder of 2009 and well into 2010. According to the WHO some countries could see the number of cases double every few days until the peak period of transmission has passed.

Medical research shows that maintaining high levels of D vitamin is one of the best things people can do to help fight off colds and flu. It plays a major role in supporting immune function and is known to be an effective agent against inflammation, which is typically caused by flu and other respiratory viruses. By helping modulate the body’s response to respiratory viruses, it helps prevent dangerous and even fatal buildup of fluid in the lungs.

Though as yet there is no clinical evidence that supplemental D vitamin can be considered a flu preventative or treatment, there is ample evidence that it is an excellent immune support. Low levels of the vitamin are associated with higher incidence of a wide range of serious illnesses, including respiratory infections. In addition, numerous studies have shown that people with high levels of the vitamin appear to be less likely to contract flu and other respiratory viruses.

Long recognized as important to bone health and strength, D vitamin has recently been identified as key to immune support and crucial to almost all aspects of health. Deficiency has been recognized as a global health problem, and has been implicated as a factor in a host of illnesses and disorders including cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In addition, low levels of the vitamin have been associated with depression, chronic pain, birth defects, and periodontal disease.

Because sun exposure is necessary to stimulate the body’s production of the vitamin, some researchers speculate that the indoor lifestyle and weaker UV rays of winter weather make the traditional cold and flu season even more of challenge. There are relatively few dietary sources of the vitamin, so without adequate sun exposure deficiency is very common.

The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, responsible for establishing Recommended Dietary Allowances of various nutrients, set an RDA of 200 mgs of D vitamin per day. That recommendation has been questioned as being insufficient, and in 2008 the American Association of Pediatrics announced a new recommendation that literally doubled the existing RDA to 400 IU per day. The AAP recommends that supplementation begin in the first two days after birth.

Hip fracture is one of the most common and most serious age-related health threats. There are about 1.6 million hip fractures worldwide each year, with 75% of the fractures happening to women over 50. Hip fracture leaves about 40% of its victims unable to walk independently, and can create profound loss of function.

In addition to causing chronic pain, reduced mobility, and increased dependence, hip fractures can actually be deadly. According to data from the International Osteoporosis Foundation, hip fracture increases the mortality rate as much as 24% in the first year, with a greater risk of dying for as long as five years after the fracture.

Known risk factors for hip fracture include low body weight, advanced age, and a diet that doesn’t provide enough calcium. But new research is indicating that without enough vitamin D, women are actually at 70% greater risk.

One of the latest studies, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, monitored 800 women between the ages of 50 and 79 for nine years. The results showed that risk for hip fracture grew incrementally as blood levels of D vitamin dropped, to the point that women with the lowest levels of the vitamin had a 70% increased risk for hip fracture.

The association between low levels of the vitamin and hip fracture risk may be stronger for older women than younger women, the researchers noted. It is believed that vitamin D is tied most closely to hip fractures that occur because of pre-existing frailty, which is more commonly found among women over 50.

The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 200 IU for people up to age 50, 400 IU for people aged 51 to 70, and 600 IU for people over age 70. Many experts disagree, citing this recommended dosage as far too low with some suggesting up to 1000 IU daily for both infants and adults.

Vitamin D has long been recognized for its importance to bone strength, but a growing body of medical evidence indicates that it plays a crucial role in many aspects of health. Though it is the only vitamin that the body can produce, deficiency is alarmingly common. As many as three fourths of the adults and teens in the US are believed to have inadequate levels, and D vitamin deficiency has been identified as a growing health problem all over the world.

Exposure to the sun triggers the skin to manufacture the vitamin, but the body’s ability to produce it declines with age. There are relatively few natural food sources of it, and most people get the majority of the vitamin by drinking fortified milk.

Crucial to bone, muscle development in adolescent girls
Recent research by the University of Manchester, UK screened 99 girls between 12 and 14 years of age. 75% of the girls had demonstrably low blood levels of D vitamin, though none of the girls showed symptoms of deficiency.

The researchers then tested the girls’ muscle strength and force. The girls who were not deficient scored significantly higher in the strength and force tests than those who were deficient, leading the research team to conclude that the link between deficiency and relative weakness definitely merits further study. The study data highlights the importance of the vitamin to muscle function in adolescent girls, they said, adding that there could be implications for long-term bone development.

Levels particularly important during pregnancy
Studies show that inadequate levels of D vitamin during pregnancy could have a negative impact on many aspects of pregnancy, from increasing the risk of pre-eclampsia to decreasing the length of gestation, birth weight, and odds for good fetal bone development.

It is also believed that sufficiency of the vitamin during pregnancy can actually lower the child’s risk of many health problems and diseases later in life.

One of the most important nutrients for women during and after menopause
The hormonal swings of menopause, together with an increasingly indoor-oriented lifestyle and the aging body’s decreased ability to manufacture D vitamin, makes deficiency among older women common. This is particularly dangerous, experts say, because low levels of the vitamin significantly increase the risk of osteoporosis, osteomalasia, and hip fractures.

In addition, deficiency has been related to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including breast cancer, as well as a higher incidence of heart disease, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and diabetes.

Helps prevent hip and other bone fractures One of D vitamin’s primary functions is to regulate the body’s absorption of calcium, making it a key player in the prevention of bone softening diseases such as osteoporosis and osteomalasia. A 2009 study by the University of Pittsburgh determined that low levels of the vitamin can increase post-menopausal women’s risk of hip fracture by as much as 70%.

May help protect against many forms of cancer, including breast cancer A 2008 study by the German Cancer Research Center, which monitored almost 2,800 post-menopausal women, concluded that women with very low blood levels of the vitamin had a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer than those with adequate levels.

In addition, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that a four-year clinical trial involving 1,179 healthy post-menopausal women showed that improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduced all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

Deficiencies linked to bacterial infections in pregnant women Another University of Pittsburgh study indicated that there was a strong correlation between low levels of the vitamin and the incidence of bacterial vaginosis in the more than 460 pregnant women participating in the research. Bacterial vaginosis is one of the primary causes of premature delivery and fetal death.

A total of 41 percent of the study participants were diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis, and 93 percent of the women with the infection had insufficient levels of the vitamin. It was further observed that as blood levels of the vitamin rose, the incidence of infection decreased.

May help prevent and treat depression It is known that the vitamin plays a key role in a number of neurological and hormonal processes, and feelings of depression are identified as one of the symptoms of D vitamin deficiency. This connection may be of increasing importance to older women, because the body’s ability to manufacture D vitamin decreases as we age.

The importance of the vitamin to mood was established in a 2008 study by the University of Amsterdam, which showed that older people with low levels of the vitamin were more likely to be depressed. The researchers said that while additional study is warranted to determine whether low levels of the vitamin were the cause of depression or a side effect of it, they observed that the correlation between low D vitamin levels and depression were unmistakable.

Boosts energy and improves physical performance Feelings of fatigue are among the symptoms of D vitamin deficiency, and recent research by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine pinpoints the importance of sufficient levels of the vitamin for improving performance among older people.

The study analyzed data from 976 people aged 65 and older. The study found that physical performance, which included factors such as walking speed, grip strength, and ability to rise from a sitting position to standing, was 10 percent lower among participants with deficient blood levels of the vitamin.

Long recognized as important to the prevention of bone diseases, D vitamin builds and protects bone health and strength by regulating the amount of calcium our bones receive.

Deficiency of this crucial vitamin has been identified as a cause of severe and disabling diseases such as rickets, osteoporosis, and osteomalasia. But recent research is showing that low levels of the vitamin could be behind simpler problems like body aches and muscle pains as well.

A recent study by the University of Minnesota’s Community Health Care Center measured the D vitamin levels of 150 people being treated for persistent, unexplained body aches and pains. The results showed that 93 percent of the patients had seriously low levels of the vitamin. These results echo those of many other studies that have shown a direct correlation between otherwise unexplained body aches and vitamin D deficiency.

In addition, emerging research indicates that supplementation can actually resolve many cases in which patients are virtually immobilized by persistent, unexplained body pain. A Saudi Arabian project involving 299 patients with chronic low back pain used D vitamin supplementation for a period of three months, which resulted in clinical improvement in every case.

These findings could be particularly important for older people, who are both generally more subject to chronic body aches and more prone to deficiency of vitamin D. Exposure to the sun triggers the body to manufacture vitamin D, but older people, particularly those who live in cold climates, tend to have significantly less sun exposure than the general population. This problem is compounded by the fact that the body’s ability to synthesize the vitamin decreases with age.

Other factors that influence the body’s ability to produce the vitamin include weight and skin color; heavier people and those with darker skin have more difficulty producing sufficient amounts and are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Since there are relatively few dietary sources of the vitamin, sun exposure and fortified milk are both important to keeping blood levels of it sufficient. The current recommendations for D vitamin are 400 IU per day for both children and adults, and 600 IU per day for people over 70 years of age.

The European Male Aging Study, which focused on more than 3300 men between 40 and 80 years old, showed that low levels of the vitamin are definitely associated with slower mental processing, reduced cognitive function, and concentration problems.

The study authors, reporting their results in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, said that while high levels of the vitamin correlated with high scores on cognitive function tests, more clinical tests are needed to fully interpret their findings.

Though the study clearly demonstrated the correlation between D vitamin levels and cognitive function/processing speed, the findings stopped short of identifying the vitamin as a treatment for aging brains. Instead, the researchers noted that the association could be simply a “risk marker”, indicating a risk for cognitive decline.

The study concluded that in light of the findings and the fact that vitamin D deficiency is common among older adults, more research is warranted to determine whether Vitamin D supplements could aid in minimizing age-related cognitive decline.

The European study is the latest of many research projects to investigate the association between levels of D vitamin – often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because sun exposure triggers its production in the body – and brain health.

The vitamin is known to play a significant role in brain biochemistry. Nuclear receptors for the vitamin exist in the brain, and it is involved in the biosynthesis of neurotrophins, protiens responsible for neuron growth and development. Because neurotrophins can also repair damaged neurons, some believe they have potential for use in reversing age-related brain disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease. Tests on the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements in Alzheimer’s treatment are ongoing.

In addition, recent studies have revealed that insufficient levels of the vitamin are strongly correlated with incidence of depression.