How Vitamin D Prevents Osteoporosis: Key Nutrients for Strong Bones and Fracture Prevention

INTRODUCTION

Osteoporosis is actually a condition which can make your bones weak and delicate, and it will also increase the risk of getting fractures even with minor injury. We all know that when we get older, it becomes really important to keep our bones healthier and stronger, and vitamin D is actually the important nutrient which helps in this major process. In this article you will understand how the vitamin D will help you to stop osteoporosis from happening and how it can support you to keep your bones strong and healthy.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease condition which makes your bones more fragile and brittle because of reduced bone density. When the bone reduces its density, the chance of getting a fracture increases, mainly in case of older individuals.

This can be seen very commonly in the females of postmenopausal age, but it can also affect men and young people. Some of the factors, like age, gender, family history, food eating patterns or diet, and activity level can all enhance the chances of the development of osteoporosis.

To prevent osteoporosis from happening, you should always keep your bones strong and must include the right nutritious food in your diet. Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients which helps you to keep your bones healthy.

Role of Vitamin D in Bone Health?

The main thing is that Vitamin D is very essential for the proper calcium absorption, and calcium is the major mineral which is required for strong and healthy bones. So, if you don't have enough vitamin D, the body will not absorb a sufficient amount of calcium from the food you eat, and this will eventually cause weakening of bones as time goes on. This will result in a really bad condition called osteomalacia, and in this condition your bones will become very soft and increase the chance of getting a fracture. So, to prevent osteoporosis, make sure that your vitamin D level is in a proper range.

The vitamin D also has a major role in bone remodeling. In bone remodeling, the old bone tissue will get replaced by a new bone tissue. We can say that proper bone remodeling is very important to keep your bones very strong and intact throughout your life. 

So all these confirm that vitamin D has a key role in strong bones and in being in proper good shape, and it will definitely avoid the chances of getting osteoporosis and also reduce the chances of breaking bones.

If you want to gain knowledge about all the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K), please click here!

How Does the Vitamin D Prevent Osteoporosis?

1) Absorption of Calcium: The vitamin D assists your body to absorb the calcium from the food you consume, and this means it ensures that your bones are getting a sufficient amount of calcium that is very necessary to keep them really strong and dense.

2) Increases the Bone Strength: Vitamin D has a role in the process or mechanism of making the bones strong and hard, and that means adding and fixing calcium into the bones, and through this process the bones become thicker and stronger.

3) Decrease the Risk of Getting Fractured: If you have a sufficient amount of vitamin D in your body, then you will have less chance for a bone break, mainly in the case of older individuals. Many studies have already confirmed that vitamin D has the ability to make your muscles function in a better way, which can also lower the chances of falls.

So, if a person has the proper level of vitamin D, then they will have a very low chance of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Vitamin D Sources

1) Sun Exposure: Your body makes or produces vitamin D at the time when you get exposed to sunlight. The best time to get sun exposure is between 10 am and 2 pm.

2) Food Sources: Certain foods already contain vitamin D naturally, and in some foods, vitamin D is added to them to make them healthier (fortified foods).So, the foods that are loaded naturally with vitamin D are fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, and the fortified dairy products include the food items like milk, cheese and yogurt, and we also have fortified plant based milk like soy milk, almond milk and oat milk. And not only this, the egg yolk and the mushrooms exposed to sunlight also contain vitamin D.

3) Vitamin D Supplements: Sometimes, even if a person eats foods containing vitamin D and spends enough time in sunlight, they will not get enough vitamin D. So in such cases, vitamin D supplements can really help them out, but they should only be taken as per the doctor's advice after consulting with a doctor and should also be taken in the right dosage.

Here are the 10 signs of vitamin D deficiency you might miss!

Insufficient Vitamin D and Osteoporosis

So as we said before, the vitamin D deficiency will definitely result in decreased calcium absorption, and it will eventually lead to weakening of bones and an elevated chance for osteoporosis.

The most common symptoms that make you understand that you have a vitamin D deficiency are muscle weakness, aching bones and increased chances of breaking bones.

So if you think that you might have weak bones or not sufficient vitamin D, it is really important to go for a blood test to properly assess your vitamin D levels. Maintaining or keeping the right level of vitamin D in your body is highly crucial for keeping your bones strong and decreasing the chances of breaking bones because of osteoporosis.

Daily Vitamin D Needs for Bone Health

The daily vitamin D need will change according to an individual's age, their gender and their health conditions.

• Pregnant and breastfeeding females need 600 IU each day.
• Children, that means from age 1 to 18 years require 600 IU each day.
• Adults from age 19 to 70 years require 600 IU each day.
• Adults aged more than 71 years require 800 IU each day.

But for the individuals who are at a higher chance of developing osteoporosis or who already have a deficiency of vitamin D, they may need to take a greater amount of vitamin D as compared to the normal or general population to maintain healthy bones and proper calcium absorption. But always talk with a physician before increasing the vitamin D consumption.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Is taking too much vitamin D beneficial or harmful?

If you take an excessive amount of vitamin D, then it will definitely result in toxicity, leading to very high calcium levels in your bloodstream, and it will also cause nausea, vomiting and kidney damage. You should only take the proper recommended dosage advised by your healthcare provider.

2) Is taking vitamin D alone effective in blocking osteoporosis from happening, or are there any other essential factors?

As we said, vitamin D is really important, but there are some other elements, like daily workouts, a calcium loaded meal plan, and a balanced, healthy lifestyle, that are also essential for blocking osteoporosis from happening.

3) What are the signs that show I need more vitamin D?

If you are interested in knowing your exact vitamin D range, then the best thing you can do is a blood test. The symptoms showing vitamin D deficiency include aching bones, muscle weakness or breaking bones more frequently than usual.

CONCLUSION

So, as per all the above information, we can confirm that vitamin D is very important for keeping your bones strong and healthy and for the prevention of the condition called osteoporosis. Through its functions like calcium absorption and bone mineralization, the vitamin D helps to build strong bones and lower the chances of bone breakage.

So make sure you are receiving a sufficient amount of vitamin D from sunlight, food or supplements. Doing check-ups at regular intervals and maintaining proper and sufficient vitamin D levels in your body will definitely safeguard your bones and overall wellness.