The importance of vitamin D for good bone health

It’s well known that calcium plays an important role in building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth, but did you know that for calcium to work properly, your body needs a good supply of vitamin D?

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps the body regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate needed to keep bones, muscles, and teeth healthy. Your body creates vitamin D naturally from direct sunlight on the skin and you also get it from certain foods and supplements.

Recommended daily amount of vitamin D

The recommended daily amount of vitamin D for adults 19 years and older is 600 IU daily for men and women. For adults over the age of 70 years it is 800 IU daily. You may not reach the recommended daily amount if you don’t consume enough vitamin D rich foods, you have limited exposure to natural sunlight, you have darker skin color, certain medical conditions, or you are obese (body mass index over 30).

Vitamin D deficiency

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in adults include tiredness, aches, pains, muscle pain or weakness, and in extreme cases stress fractures in the legs, pelvis, and hips.

Having too little vitamin D can also cause a number of conditions including:

Osteoporosis – a loss of bone density and strength that can lead to fractures.
Rickets and osteomalacia – a disorder that causes children to have soft and deformed bones (Rickets) and adults to have soft bones (osteomalacia).
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Increased risk of cancer

Your doctor can easily diagnose vitamin D deficiency with a simple blood test.

How do you get enough vitamin D?

Only about 10 percent of vitamin D that the body needs comes from the food we eat. Because only a few food sources naturally contain vitamin D, manufacturers often ‘fortify’ or add vitamin D to foods like cereal, milk, dairy produce, and some juices. The rest of our vitamin D supply comes from exposure to natural sunlight and dietary supplements.

Good day sunshine

When your skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays it makes its own vitamin D. It’s recommended that exposing around a third of your skin (face, neck, forearms, and legs) for around 10-30 minutes three times a week should be enough for most people with lighter skin. People with a darker complexion may need a bit longer. Studies have shown that midday is the best time to get vitamin D from the sun. This is because the sun is at its highest point at midday and your body can make vitamin D more efficiently and in less time.

Make sure to stay safe in the sun and prevent yourself from burning if you have sensitive skin. It’s important to note that your body can’t make vitamin D if you are indoors, even when sitting by a window, because the sun’s ultraviolet rays can’t penetrate through glass.