The body needs vitamins and minerals for proper functioning. These essential nutrients can be obtained from the foods that we eat, but when we are not eating the way we should, supplements do the job for us. One of those vitamins our bodies need is vitamin D.

What is so great about vitamin D? Well, first of all, it aids the body in the absorption of calcium. Calcium, as we all know, is important for strong bones, teeth, and nails. Calcium is essential to the body at every age. Babies are building bones so calcium ensures they will form properly.

As we grow up and age calcium continues to keep bones strong. The effect of weak bones is seen in older people who are bent over as they walk. Osteoporosis is a fact of life for people with little calcium in their bones to strengthen them.

Vitamin D is kind of unique. It can be synthesized by the sun. Who knew? Spending as little as an hour in the sun each day allows the skin to produce vitamin D in the form of a substance called calcitriol. This substance enters the body and triggers the release of calcium from the intestines into the bloodstream where it is needed.

When calcium is needed and nowhere to be found, the body removes it from the bones. As more calcium is ingested in our food or supplements, the calcium removed from the bones is replaced. This can only happen if enough vitamin D is present to trigger the release of calcium so it can reach the bones. When that doesn’t happen, we are susceptible to bone loss.

During the winter months, it can seem like the sun has gone on hiatus. The nights are longer and we experience more of the moonlight than the sunlight. How do we get our essential vitamin D then?

Vitamin D can be ingested in the form of supplements. Supplements contain vitamin D in the form needed to trigger the calcium release from the intestines. Supplements like multivitamins contain about fifty percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D. The rest comes from foods we ingest like milk that is fortified with vitamin D and green leafy veggies.

When the sun is supplying the vitamin D, the body determines how much we need. In the sun’s absence, we have to be careful, how much we consume. We get vitamin D from foods but we usually don’t eat enough of the right ones to get all of the vitamin D we need. Supplements are always in the same proportion and it is vitamin D in the needed form.

Vitamin D comes from the sun. To get it we don’t have to run, jump, or skip, just stand in the open and gaze heavenward. In its absence, supplements are the best substitute.

If you’re trying to eat healthy, you might worry about adding too much dairy to your diet, since dairy products are generally considered high fat foods. But if you add the right kind of dairy to your meal plan, it doesn’t have to have a negative impact on your calorie count.

In fact, studies have shown that dairy foods may actually contribute to weight loss and a healthier body, since it provides the body with the calcium it needs. Calcium found in dairy products is far better than any other source of calcium.

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Osteoporosis has been defined as a disorder where the bones become brittle, and are prone to fracture. The causes of this condition are generally due to a loss of calcium and other mineral components. The results are pain, decrease in height, and deformities of the body. The fragile bones associated with osteoporosis cause huge problems for sufferers.

What’s important to realize is that most cases of osteoporosis could have been prevented. If you want to stay healthy, and keep your bones strong, try following the tips below to insure the best health for your body.

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