While there has been some conflicting research in the past, a new study of 70,000 people confirms that “Taking both calcium and vitamin D supplements on a daily basis reduces the risk of bone fractures, regardless of whether a person is young or old, male or female, or has had fractures in the past.” One of the researchers went on to say that this “goes a long way toward resolving conflicting evidence about the role of vitamin D, either alone or in combination with calcium, in reducing fractures.” But as with many research studies, there is more news than the headline would tell you.

When you dig into the research, there are two other details that stuck out. First is that the type of Vitamin D in your supplement matters. Since this research specifically dealt with supplements, they are not talking about the Vitamin D that your body makes naturally when exposed to sunshine. While there are other types of Vitamin D, the kinds you will find in supplements or added to food products are known as D2 and D3. In general, D2 is synthesized from plant sources, while D3 is obtained from animal sources. Today’s research confirms earlier research saying that D3 is a much more effective supplement than D2.

Another interesting detail is based on earlier research about the effect of Vitamin D on the muscles. It turns out there are actual Vitamin D receptors in human muscles, and “It is postulated that supplementation may increase muscle strength.” Researchers theorize that part of the reason they were seeing fewer fractures is that they were seeing fewer falls that would lead to them in the first place.

So taking calcium and Vitamin D daily appear to not only make you stronger and less likely to fall, but less likely to break your bones too.