For premium bone health, combine Calcium and VItamin D, for optimal absorption.

Whenever we think about vitamins for bone health, the one nutrient that might instantly pop into our minds is calcium. Given how 99% of our body’s calcium is found in our bones, it’s evident that it is a necessary mineral for building strong bones (1). With that in mind, we usually have calcium incorporated into our diet either through food or supplements. But did you know about the other vitamin that’s good for your bone health? Vitamin D!

It’s super important to get your intake of vitamin D to strengthen bones and prevent fractures throughout life. Read on for how to incorporate more of it into your daily life.

Calcium, Vitamin D, and bone health

While calcium is an essential mineral that helps us build stronger bones, calcium is also important because it helps the impairment of bone strength from occurring; with a lack of calcium leading to weaker bones. Low calcium intake could also lead to a significant decrease in bone mineral density (1).

A lesser known fact about bone health is that calcium’s effects are enhanced byVitamin D. Vitamin D is able to maximise our body’s use of calcium by helping it absorb the mineral more efficiently (2). More so, taking both calcium and Vitamin D supplements can help reduce bone loss and the incidence of fractures (1).

Vitamin D for bones

Our bones are vital for our body’s overall health as they support the integrity of our skeleton. If we are unable to take care of our bone health, we could encounter problems such as low bone mineral density.

Vitamin D supports bone health and helps strengthen muscles which in return helps prevent bone injuries (4). In fact, low bone mineral density occurs when there is a severe lack of vitamin D in our bodies. This vitamin D deficiency could lead to bone density illnesses like rickets (4). If you’re planning to use vitamin D to improve your bone health, you can support your intake through supplementation.

Adults reach their optimum bone mass by the age of 30, meaning the ages of 20-25 are crucial years to look after your bone health as after that time bones begin to lose mass. With our body’s bone mass decreasing as we grow older, it’s important to use vitamin D supplementation to prevent bone injuries and fractures (5).

Where to get vitamin D for bone health

While it is best to get your essential vitamins and nutrients through diet, vitamin D can’t be found in a lot of foods. Most of the foods that do have vitamin D are fortified. Some of these fortified foods include milk, breakfast cereal, and eggs (2).

However our bodies actually get the most vitamin D through the skin when it is exposed to good sunlight (3).

It’s best to at least spend an hour or so outdoors doing physical activity with a good amount of sunlight. This way, you’ll be able to get the sufficient vitamin D that your body will need to keep your bones healthy. Simple activities such as walking outdoors, exercising, hanging out laundry, or doing some gardening while the sun is out, are great ways to get vitamin D for bones.

A few important things to remember when being outdoors is to make sure that you aren’t exposed to harsh sunlight; the sun’s rays are usually at its harshest in the middle of the day. So don’t forget to wear some sunscreen when you’re exposed to sunlight for more than 10 minutes. Just be sure not to apply too much as it can stop the absorption of vitamin D through your skin (6).

But if you do find yourself indoors a lot of the time, you can still get a dose of vitamin D by letting some sunlight into your home or office. Glass blocks the sun’s rays, so be sure to open windows when letting sunlight in.

Aside from these activities, you could always go for something more convenient like increasing your vitamin D for bone health through Vitable Australia’s personalised vitamin packs. When supplementing vitamin D, it’s best to pair it with a calcium supplement as well.

*Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and/or mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet.

References:

1. Vitable.”Calcium Plus”.Vitable. Published (n.d.) on https://research.vitable.com.au/calcium-plus. Accessed December 16, 2021.

2. OrthoInfo. “Vitamin D for Good Bone Health”. OrthoInfo. Published (n.d.) on https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-for-good-bone-health. Accessed December 16, 2021.

3. M F Holick.“Vitamin D and Bone Health”.National Center for Biotechnology Information. Published April 1996 on https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8642450/. Accessed December 16, 2021.

4. Eamon Laird, Mary Ward, Emeir McSorley, J.J. Strain, and Julie Wallace. “Vitamin D and Bone Health; Potential Mechanisms”. US National Library of Medicine. Published July 5, 2010 on https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257679/. Accessed December 16, 2021.

5. Hormone Health Network. “Vitamin D and Calcium”.Hormone Health Network.  Published (n.d.) on https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/bone-health/vitamin-d-and-calcium . Accessed December 16, 2021.

6. Royal Osteoporosis Society. “Vitamin D for bones”. Royal Osteoporosis Society. Published (n.d.) on https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/bone-health/vitamin-d-for-bones/. Accessed December 16, 2021.