A healthy body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals. Two vital nutrients that help keep our bones healthy and strong are calcium and vitamin D. When it comes to absorbing calcium in your body, calcium and vitamin D go hand in hand. Simply put, both of them are equally essential for bone health and the prevention of further bone loss.
Importance of Calcium and Vitamin D for Bone Health
Our body contains distinct minerals, such as phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, but calcium is the most important mineral we own. Bones support and perform significant movements and functions that hold our body together. Calcium is beneficial for our body and helps in the strong development and mineralisation of bone health. Calcium is also required to fulfil a sufficient daily intake of calcium for bones and to compensate for the daily calcium loss. Additionally, to reach its full bone-building capacity, our body requires vitamin D.
Importance of Calcium for Bones and Joints
Calcium is a mineral that needs consistent maintenance to support and build strong bones in your body. Calcium is claimed to be the most effective mineral, which is found in plenty of our bodies. Our bones contain 99.5% of the calcium in our body. Calcium not only helps in building bones but also helps our muscles to contract, our heart to beat properly, and enables the clotting factor.
Calcium is found in our skin, nails, hair, urine, sweat, and even body waste. Since the body doesn’t produce calcium, it’s very important to have foods rich in it. The two important types of calcium that our body needs are:
- Calcium Carbonate
- Calcium Citrate
Why is Calcium Needed?
Mostly stored in bones and teeth, this mineral is vital for bones and teeth for providing hardness and giving them a proper structure. Moreover, calcium is needed for:
- Muscle movement: for nerves to carry signals to your brain.
- Blood vessel movement: for proper release of hormones.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is not only absorbed by the skin from sun exposure but can also be acquired through the right diet. There are two important forms of vitamin D in dietary supplements:
- D2 (ergocalciferol): found in plants
- D3 (cholecalciferol): exposure to sunlight
Why is Vitamin D Needed?
When learning about vitamins for bone strength, vitamin D tops the list. It helps calcium get absorbed in our body. Also, it has several other substantial functions that directly and indirectly affect the main functions of our body. Furthermore, vitamin D is needed for:
- Maintaining and regulating strong bones: It helps in maintaining the right levels of calcium and phosphorus in our body.
- Healthy immune system and controlled cellular growth.
- Preventing children from rickets: a condition affecting bone development.
- Protecting adults from osteoporosis.
Vitamin D Deficiency
According to Economic Times Health World 2023 data, about 76% of Indian people suffer from vitamin D deficiency. This negatively affects the bone health of their bodies. Vitamin D deficiency in today’s time is associated with several factors, even beyond bone health. Vitamin D insufficiency can lead to osteomalacia (a disease that causes soft bones). It can even exacerbate osteoporosis (a disease that causes a density decrease in bone strength, further leading to multiple fractures). Therefore, it is crucial to keep the sources of calcium and vitamin D in check.
How Much Calcium and Vitamin D Do I Need?
An adequate intake of 1000-1500 mg/d of calcium should go along with at least 400 IU/d of vitamin D for strong bones. It is crucial for preserving optimal vitamins for bone health. The inputs of sources from calcium and vitamin D are high by current standards. They vary from taking direct sunlight to innumerable foods and dietary supplements one can take accordingly. There are still debates and research being held about the fast-paced times we live in.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) suggests Adequate Intake (AI) of vitamin D concerning age and gender. It is as follows:
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 0-12 months | 10 mcg(400 IU) | 10 mcg(400 IU) |
| 1–13 years | 15 mcg(600 IU) | 15 mcg(600 IU) |
| 14–18 years | 15 mcg(600 IU) | 15 mcg(600 IU) |
| 19–50 years | 15 mcg(600 IU) | 15 mcg(600 IU) |
| 51–70 years | 15 mcg(600 IU) | 15 mcg(600 IU) |
| >70 years | 20 mcg(800 IU) | 20 mcg(800 |
How to Guarantee Sufficient Admission of Calcium and Vitamin D?
There are multiple ways of being certain of your calcium and nutrient admission. The variables to be thought about are as per the following:
Food
Food satisfies your day to day admission of vitamin D and calcium. The best wellsprings of calcium are milk and dairy items. A few food sources have the assembling expansion of nutrients and minerals that don’t contain those normally in them. For example, juice, soymilk, and a few different things are tracked down on the lookout.
- Veggie lover choices: Soy, almonds, oats, squeezed orange, yogurt, margarine, and others.
- Non-veggie lover choices: Salmon, fish, egg yolks, cheddar, mushrooms, chicken, and so on.
Sun Openness
There are vulnerabilities with respect to how much sun openness expected to keep up with adequate vitamin D. Notwithstanding, a few specialists prescribe 5 to 30 minutes of morning daylight before 10 a.m. Our skin produces vitamin D, which to a great extent relies on factors like age, skin pigmentation, and the hour of day. Openness to daylight and skin malignant growth studies have driven individuals to stay away from outside settings, bringing about vitamin D inadequacy.
Dietary Enhancements
Supplements contain the minerals that are indispensable for bones and teeth. Assuming you are searching for medication for solid bones and joints, Nutrient D2, or D3 enhancements can be taken. Notwithstanding, ask general doctors or different experts to recommend these as indicated by your body’s necessities.
Work out
Strength preparing and weight lifting assist with muscle building, which upholds our bones and keeps them solid.
Wrapping Up!
Solid bones construct a body’s design. It helps in keeping up with fundamental necessities to carry on with a solid life. What’s more, how to reinforce bones? By taking the perfect proportion of both calcium and vitamin D. Likewise, keeping a beware of your calcium and vitamin D admission can save you from infections like rickets, bone-debilitating sickness and expanded break gambles.
Alongside a sound way of life, great food, and standard activity, ensure you have a health care coverage plan that safeguards your general prosperity and can give you enough inclusion in the event of health related crises. Care Health care coverage offers a not insignificant rundown of thorough yet reasonable plans that can offer you the inclusion you really want for you as well as your loved ones.
Disclaimer: The above-mentioned information is for reference purposes only