Osteoporosis Diet
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Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also essential to bone health. It encourages absorption of calcium. You get vitamin D from exposure of the skin to the sun, from a limited number of foods, and from dietary supplements. A remarkable recent finding is that there are receptors for vitamin D in many tissues other than the small intestine, where calcium from food is absorbed. These include muscles, brain, prostate, breast, colon, and immune cells. We have to believe that these vitamin D receptors serve a function since diseases in these organs have been associated with vitamin D deficiency.Additionally, vitamin D levels have recently been found to be significantly low in many age groups. The previous recommendation of 400 IU per day is too low. The new recommendation is 800-1200 IU daily, especially for people who do not have significant skin sun exposure like the elderly or those who are inactive. Vitamin D is found in a limited number of foods such as cheese, butter, vitamin D fortified milk, oily fish and eggs.
Vitamin D and calcium are intimately connected. You need to have a good level of vitamin D in your blood to absorb and use calcium. In Caucasian and light-skinned people, the sun’s rays will make vitamin D in the skin. Dark-skinned people and African-Americans need to get their vitamin D from foods and vitamin D pills. This is important as vitamin D deficiency is very common. For detailed information on vitamin D from the National Institutes of Health, google search: Dietary supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D.
