Vitamin D may help prevent benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which occurs when tiny crystals in the inner ear get dislodged.
Researchers randomly assigned 1,050 people who had been treated for BPPV—with a simple maneuver that moves the crystals back into place—to either an intervention or an observation group.
Of the 500 people in the intervention group, 348 had insufficient vitamin D levels (under 20 ng/mL) when they entered the study. Only they were given vitamin D (400 IU) and calcium carbonate (500 mg) twice a day.
After a year, the full intervention group had 24 percent fewer episodes of vertigo than the observation group. The researchers calculated that four people with insufficient vitamin D would need to take vitamin D and calcium for a year to prevent one case of BPPV.
What to do: If you’ve had BPPV, get your vitamin D tested to see if you need more.
Photo: luengo_ua/stock.adobe.com.
The information in this post first appeared in the October 2020 issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter.
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