If you’re here then you’ve probably Google’d about: what is the best vitamin for your bones. This article aims to clear any doubts and questions you may have about this subject and we will do our best to do so.
2 Critical Nutrients For Bones: Calcium And Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body absorb and process calcium. Milk and other dairy products are excellent natural sources of calcium. Other good food sources of calcium include calcium-fortified orange juice, leafy green vegetables, and broccoli.
If you don’t eat those foods regularly, talk to your doctor about calcium supplements. “In many parts of the country, especially during the winter months, the sun is too weak to generate vitamin D,” says Zelman. The reason: the body becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D as we age.
Adults need at least 600 IU of vitamin D per day for bone health, but some people may need up to 2000 IU to increase blood level of 25 (OH) vitamin D consistently above 30ng/ml. Adults 70 years and older need 800 IU of vitamin D a day to prevent falls and fracture.
Bone Strength And Calcium
O keep your bones dense and strong.
Low bone density can cause your bones to become brittle and fragile. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. This kind of diet will give your body the building blocks it needs to make and maintain strong bones.
In addition to getting enough calcium and vitamin D, you can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis by exercising regularly and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol us.
Vitamin D
Emerging science has shown that vitamin D allows Calcium to be sufficiently absorbed in the gut and used by the body. The best source of vitamin D is through direct sun exposure during the brightest part of the day.
For this reason, supplementation is often recommended. Adults older than age 50 should take between 800 and 1,000 international units, or IUs, of vitamin D a day.
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Lanced diet will help you build healthy bones from an early age and maintain them throughout your life.
You should be able to get all the nutrients you need for healthy bones by eating a balanced diet. A good diet is only one of the building blocks for healthy bones, which also includes exercise and avoiding certain risk factors for osteoporosis. You should be able to get all the calcium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
Good sources of calcium include: milk, cheese and other dairy foods
green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, but not spinach
soya beans
tofu
plant-based drinks (such as soya drink) with added calcium
nuts
bread and anything made with fortified flour
fish where you eat the bones, such as sardines and pilchards Although spinach contains a lot of calcium, it also contains oxalate, which reduces calcium absorption, and it is therefore not a good source of calcium. From late March/April to the end of September, you can make vitamin D from sunlight by having short daily periods of sun exposure without sunscreen. However, everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter when we cannot make vitamin D from sunlight.
At-risk groups Some groups of the population are at greater risk of not getting enough vitamin D, and the Department of Health and Social Care recommends that these people should take a daily 10 microgram (400IU) vitamin D supplement all year round.