Vitamin D intake and Osteoporosis
- Vitamins overview
- An overview of Vitamin D
- Intake of Vitamin D
Vitamin Information
Recommended pages
Osteoporosis results from a change in bone mineral density and of bone architecture. These changes come about because the efficiency of the bone remodelling cycle decreases as people get older. It is important that people have a healthy nutrient intake in order to maintain bone mass. Two of the main nutrients that are beneficial in maintaining the skeleton are calcium and vitamin D. This section is dedicated to vitamin D intake. Information on how vitamin D is created in the body through sunlight activating 7-dehydrocholesterol can be found here.
Why Vitamin D supply may be limited
It is well known that vitamin D can be created in the body upon exposure to sunlight, so why are people vitamin D deficient? Unfortunately as the body gets older the efficiency of the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol by Ultra Violet B light decreases, additionally people who live in areas where there are season such as in northern USA, Canada, New Zealand and most northern European countries may not receive enough sunlight of an adequate quality to convert vitamin D in the body.
Further to problems associated with latitude it is important to realise that vitamin D is not found in many food products. Therefore many people may not be receiving adequate supplies of Vitamin D during the winter. Some foods such as milk fortified with vitamin D may help to overcome this problem, but many people especially the elderly should also consider taking vitamin D supplements of 400 to 800 ID to help combat osteoporosis.
Why vitamin D is important for bone health
As mentioned in other sections of the site vitamin D is crucial for the biosynthesis of the protein calbindin D9k, this is involved in the facilitated transport of calcium across the cell membrane; this process is especially important when dietary calcium levels are limited. There are many other symptoms of vitamin D deficiency these include inadequate mineralisation of the skeleton, which can result in rickets and osteomalacia.
A major consequence of vitamin D deficiency is removal of calcium from the skeleton to help balance calcium levels in other parts of the body, as can be imagined this is the last thing that people who have low bone mineral density and may have osteopenia or osteoporosis want. Vitamin D deficiency may also lead to weak muscles, and are weakening of bone architecture.
It is recommended that if you feel that you are not receiving adequate supplys of vitamin D that you incorporate them into your diet either by drinking milk fortified with the vitamin or by taking vitamin D supplements.
ReferencesCashman (2007). Diet, Nutrition and Bone Health. Journal of Nutrition. Supplement: 2507S to 2512S
Cashman (2003). Prebiotics and calcium bioavailability. Curr Issues Intest Microbiol. 4: 21 to 32.
Department of Health (1998). Nutrition and bone health with reference to and vitamin D. Dietary reference values for food energy and nutrients for the United Kingdom.
Webb et al (1988). Influence of season and latitude on the synthesis of vitamin D3: exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin. J Clin Endocrinol Metabolism. 67: 373 to 78.