Having adequate levels of vitamin D is important at any age, whether you are young, middle-aged or well into the golden years of retirement. While several studies have suggested that only increasing one’s calcium intake late in life does not do much to reduce fracture risk, new research from New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery has found that prescription osteoporosis medications work best with boosted levels of vitamin D.

The study, which was presented in Boston at the 93rd annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, determined that bisphosphonates – a class of pharmaceutical bone-density drugs – work seven times better if an individual has at least 33 nanograms of the nutrient per milliliter of blood (ng/mL).

The National Institutes of Health states that 20 ng/mL is usually sufficient for health adults with no bone loss. That, however, does not appear to be nearly enough for people taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, said co-author Richard Bockman.

An adult over the age of 50 should consume at least 800 international units of vitamin D each day, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Taking a daily dietary supplement is a simple way to do so.