the reservoir from being depleted to a point where bone health suffers.
I like to call vitamin D the skeleton vitamin and more, because there’s evidence that it also influences the rate of fractures and seems to decrease the incidence of falls. It improves balance and plays a role in maintaining a
healthy immune system and controlling inflammation, and may play a role in reducing risk of certain cancers and other diseases.
Getting enough vitamin D can be a problem because there aren’t a lot of foods in our diets with this vitamin. Even fortified milk doesn’t have a tremendous amount of vitamin D. Cod liver oil is probably the best source, but it is not as widely used as it once was.
Vitamin D supplements are the easiest way to get enough vitamin D.
Another problem comes from people using sunscreens or avoiding the sun altogether. In the United States, if the UV index is 3 or higher, sun triggers vitamin D production in our skin, but only if we’re not wearing sunscreen. If you expose your arms, hands and face (like going out wearing a short-sleeved shirt) for 20 minutes between 10 a.m. and
3 p.m. in summer, you’ll make the equivalent of 400 IU of vitamin D [more when more skin is exposed]. But people in their 60s or 70s can’t make enough vitamin D from sun exposure alone, so they need supplements.
When it comes to bone-density tests, postmenopausal women can definitely benefit. When an individual’s risk for sustaining a fracture is higher, bone-density scans may be appropriate at an earlier age. Fracture risk increases with a family history of bone disease, and with fractures of arms, legs or vertebrae after age 50.
JUST D FACTS
The vitamin D test: For bone
health, vitamin D levels are
determined with a blood test
that measures 25-hydroxy-
vitamin D, also referred to
as 25(OH)D. For more infor-
mation, visit the National
Osteoporosis Foundation
at www.nof.org.
For adequate D: Get 1,000
to 1,200 IU daily of D3, also
called cholecalciferol, from
supplements. For more infor-
mation about vitamin D, visit
www.vitamindcouncil.com.
quick tip
A serving of Total
cereal with milk
(or fortified
soy milk) provides
about 500 mg
of calcium.
Here comes the sun: 20 minutes a day can do your body good.
For adequate calcium:
Get 1,000 to 1,200 mg daily,
and 1,200 to 1,500 mg daily
after menopause. Aim to
get at least half of this from
food sources and the rest
from supplements.
Sun power: If your local
weather report indicates
a UV index of 3 or higher,
the sun is strong enough to
trigger vitamin D production
in the skin. Light-skinned
people should get 20 minutes
of midday sun sans sunscreen;
darker skinned people should
get even more.
References:
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