Could nutritional supplements containing vitamin C help older men protect themselves against bone loss?

A study at Tufts University, to be published in The Journal of Nutrtion, found a positive association between men consuming high levels of vitamin C and less bone loss in the hip.

The researchers monitored participants, who had an average age of 75, over a period of four years, taking note of how their bodies changed in comparison with the vitamins they consumed.

Men who consumed the highest level of vitamin C – 314 milligrams per day – were those who lost the least bone density. However, women did not seem to benefit in the same way.

Study author Katherine Tucker told HealthDay News that “earlier studies reached similar conclusions about fruits and vegetables” offering protection against bone loss.

However, she said that this other research had not pinpointed the role of vitamin C in particular.

The vitamin has been linked to a number of positive health claims recently. Earlier this month, an Italian study suggested that it could be successful at helping lower blood pressure.