First true healthy ageing claim? Vitamin D and falls
The claim: “Vitamin D helps to reduce the risk of falling associated with postural instability and muscle weakness. Falling is a risk factor for bone fractures among men and women 60 years of age and older.”
The conditions: Food supplements which provide at least 15μg of vitamin D per daily portion. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 20μg of vitamin D from all sources. For food supplements with added vitamin D, the claim may be used only for those targeting men and women 60 years and older.
Keen and Chappuis also agreed that vitamin D’s fall-prevention claim was a key win. Like the vitamin D and calcium claim for osteoporotic bone fractures, Keen said this was important in its specificity to the supplements sector.
Chappuis said it and the vitamin D-calcium claim were the first real healthy ageing claims to be approved.
“These approvals have taken a long time especially regarding the conditions of use that may be applied, but on the market they are among the first true ‘healthy ageing claims’, as they are restricted to a target group which is defined by its age range.
“These claims will in my opinion have a great impact as they concern ingredients with high consumer recognition, addresses a real health concern in the population and is a real 'healthy ageing' claim, at the frontier with drugs.”
The Council for Responsible Nutrition UK (CRN UK) also said these two healthy ageing claims were significant, adding: “The costs to the public health services of osteoporosis and bone fractures in the elderly are very high.”
