Are you taking your bone health seriously?

The true essence of a woman’s beauty lies in the strength of her bones. Our bones are the pillars, which make up the foundation of our body and it is a blessing that allows us to function continuously. Unfortunately, many women suffer from bone related issues due to lack of proper diet and little or no physical activity, which retards their movement and they lack the ability to perform everyday tasks with energy and passion.

“Healthy bones are the foundation to a healthy body.” 
— Belinda Green 

Osteoporosis is one of the common problem faced by women today. It is associated with weak bones. Osteoporosis is a serious medical condition, which may lead to morbidity and mortality. It causes the bones to become brittle and fragile. This may occur due to hormonal changes but the most common cause of osteoporosis is calcium or vitamin D deficiency. Approximately, 200 million women worldwide suffer from it. Every year, World Osteoporosis Day is observed on October 20, to raise awareness among the women, regarding the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Today, many of us are at risk of contracting this condition because of our unhealthy life style. Our diet lacks nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium, which are the key components in maintaining bone health and fighting against this disease by attaining peak bone mass. However, the calcium in your body cannot be utilized without vitamin D. Your body needs to have adequate amounts of both so that bones stay healthy and strong.

Importance of vitamin D
Vitamin D is an important nutrient for our bone health. It regulates intestinal calcium absorption and stimulating bone resorption in order to maintain serum calcium concentration. Along with calcium, vitamin D helps in building bones and keeps them strong and healthy. Therefore, in order to make calcium work properly in the body, there must be adequate amount of vitamin D. Apart from bone health, vitamin D performs a number of functions in our body. It helps prevent human body from autoimmune diseases, protects against cancer cells, reduces the risk of diabetes and reduces chronic muscle aches.

Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
There are a multiple causes of vitamin D deficiency such as:
•    Insufficient dietary intake.
•    Less exposure to sunlight.
•    Inability of liver or kidneys to convert vitamin D into its active form in the body.
•    Intake of drugs or medicines that interfere with the conversion or absorption of vitamin D.

Sources of Vitamin D
Sunlight
When sunlight hits the skin, the body forms vitamin D. About 5 to 15 minutes of daily exposure to sunlight is recommended twice a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Balanced Diet
If you are not getting adequate exposure to sunlight, then you can get maximum amounts of vitamin D through diet. There are many different food items, which are rich in vitamin D:
•    Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
•    Beef liver
•    Cheese
•    Mushrooms
•    Egg yolks
•    Foods with added vitamin D such as packaged milk, orange juice and cereal, etc.

Supplements
Vitamin D can also be obtained by other means such as multivitamins, in combination with calcium supplements. Vitamin D supplements in the form of pills or liquid are also available. Here, it is important to know that vitamin D should be consumed according to the requirement of your body. Over intake of vitamin D can cause toxicity.

Role of Calcium in Body and its Sources
it is very well known that calcium is very important for healthy bones and teeth. It is also needed in blood clotting, it plays a part in neuromuscular activity in the body, such as releasing vital hormones, and maintaining normal cardiac function. Calcium can be obtained from foods such as spinach, kale, soybean, white beans, fish such as sardines, orange juice, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, milk, cheese, nuts and broccoli.

Bottom line
With adequate amounts of vitamin D and calcium in diet, the risk of osteoporosis can be reduced several folds. However, it is important to note that if you are already affected by osteoporosis, only vitamin D and calcium are not the solution to your recovery. Make sure you take the medications prescribed by a doctor.

by:  Abeer Arshad

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