Will Community Dwelling Older Adults Who Sustain a Non injurious Fall Benefit from Prophylactic Vitamin C Supplementation? A Review of Vitamin C and Bone Specific Influences and Observations Past and Present

Abstract

Fractures and their causative and repair mechanisms have been topics subject to various forms of investigation for several decades and are of particular salience in limiting healthy aging. In both instances, preventing and treating bone fractures - an immense societal concern in all aging populations – is a highly understudied topic. In this paper we discuss a possible role for vitamin C or ascorbic acid in both these processes in the context of secondary fracture prevention post falls, a topic that has received increasing attention in recent years, but with quite limited mainstream practice applications. It explores whether vitamin C is of potential relevance in preventing osteoporosis, a bone thinning disease linked to a high risk of future fractures in recurrent older age fallers, as well as in fostering bone fracture healing. While further investigation of this topic is warranted, ensuring aging adults have sufficient access to fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C as a rule and especially after an injurious fall or fracture appear to have considerable merit. Indeed, findings as of January 20, 2026 show a growing albeit imperfect degree of support for vitamin C in fostering bones mineral density metabolism as well as bone repairs.