Bone Health, Calcium and Vitamin D
My research of the vitamin or mineral will be based on vitamin D and Calcium.Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it is stored in the body’s fatty tissue, normally is obtained through exposure to sunlight, which triggers vitamin D production in the skin is found naturally in very few foods but in the United States, it is routinely added to milk and infant formula. Other right food sources are egg yolks and some types of fish such as salmon and mackerel and is also available in nutritional supplements. Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium which is necessary for building strong, healthy bones, without enough vitamin D and calcium, bones may not form properly in childhood and can lose mass, become weak, and break easily in adulthood. Even if you obtain enough calcium in your diet, your body will not absorb it, if you don’t secure enough vitamin D.
You can load up on calcium from plenty of different kinds of food. For example, add some dairy to your diet, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. Or try veggies like broccoli, kale, and Chinese cabbage. Some foods, like orange juice or cereal, are "calcium-fortified," which means the nutrient is added in by the manufacturer before you buy it.
Bone is a living tissue that is constantly breaking down and being replaced. Throughout life, our body balances the loss of bone with the creation of new bone. We reach our highest bone mass at about age 30.
Nutrients: Eat foods which are high in calcium and Vitamin D. These include milk, grapefruit, oily fish and walnuts. You should also ensure that you have adequate amounts of magnesium, potassium and Vitamins C and K. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to obtain these
Milk and dairy foods: these provide calcium for healthy bones and teeth, protein for growth, plus vitamins and minerals.
2. Vitamin D- A group of steroids; resistant to heat, oxidation, acids, and bases; stored in liver, skin, brain, spleen, and bones. Promotes absorption of calcium and phosphorous; promotes development of teeth and bones. Sources: produces in skin exposed to ultraviolet light; in milk; egg yolk; fish liver oils; fortified foods. Excess: Diarrhea calcification of soft tissues, renal damage. Deficienceis: Rickets,bone decalcification and weakening.
The second mineral that interested me was calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body (Page. 385). In fact, proper calcium intake is very important. Calcium plays an important role in maintaining proper bone health, dental health, the prevention of colon cancer, and the reduction of obesity. The recommended (UL) for someone my age, and sex is 2500 mg a day (Page. 386). On day 1 of my 3 day analysis I consumed 374.54 mg of calcium. On day 2 I consumed 310.96 mg, and on day 3 I consumed 793.46 mg of calcium. Consequently, I did not meet the recommended (Ul) for calcium
Calcium can also be supplemented with alfalfa, clover, dandelion, broccoli, and some fish, such as cod, salmon, and sardines (Dittmer and Thompson, 2011;Weichselbaum et al., 2013). Either exposure to sunlight or a supplemented vitamin D is also necessary for these metabolic processes to work successfully. Some fish are also good for supplementing vitamin D in the diet. Once calcium levels are back to homeostasis, the body will replenish the bone stores and there will be no lasting effects in an adult. Some animals are more susceptible to vitamin D and calcium deficiency, eg. growing animals, postpartum mammals, captive reptiles, pet rabbits, and
Vitamin D is essential for the human body to function there are various ways in which it benefits the body. Long ago it has been established that Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, this is because Vitamin D enables the absorption of vital minerals. These minerals
Calcium supports the skeletal structure and its functions by conserving and sustaining the strength of bones and teeth. It is involved in other body processes such as muscle contraction, blood clot formation, nerve impulse transmission, cell metabolism, and assistance in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and immune system. Adult humans absorb approximately 1/3 of the calcium from food. A higher rate of absorption, 50-65%, can be observed amongst newborn infants, children, and pregnant women. Calcium is an essential nutrient and requires vitamin D to be absorbed. Vitamin D is also involved in the regulation of calcium homeostas is. When vitamin D is lacking, the intestine absorbs only 10-15% of the calcium in foods; with the vitamin, intestinal absorption of dietary calcium increases to 30-80%. Once calcium enters the body, it is absorbed throughout the length of the intestines, with the greatest amount of absorption
The role of the skin in maintaining adequate serum vitamin D (VD) levels has been well established [6]. VD, or calciferol, is a liposoluble prohormone available in two forms: VD2 and VD3. Many studies have suggested that VD is essential for bone health because of its role in the regulation of calcium and phosphate
The main stages in bone development are early childhood, puberty, and menopause. “During childhood, liquid crystals of calcium within this cartilage solidify through a process called “mineralization”. For that mineralization to occur and keep occurring throughout childhood, however, it’s vitally important that children get enough exercise, calcium and vitamin D, says Laura Tosi, MD, chief of Orthopedic Surgery. Outside play, once a staple of childhood, has given way to video games and television. And if kids don’t play outside, they often don’t get enough sunlight to make adequate vitamin D. Also, kids are much more likely to drink soda or juice these days than milk, which remains one of the best sources of calcium and vitamin D in early life. In fact, variations in the amount of calcium kids get may account for five to 10 percent difference in adult bone mass and a 50 percent difference in the hip fracture rate later in life. Chalk up that adolescent growth spurt to the fact that the majority of bone is laid down in adolescence. This “speeding up” of bone formation begins around age 11 in girls and 12 or 13 in boys. Unfortunately, this is also the time when girls begin to significantly reduce their calcium intake. In fact, over 80 percent of girls age nine to 19 don’t get the recommended average daily amount of calcium. Adolescent girls are also at greater risk for anorexia and other eating disorders than boys, which can wreak havoc with estrogen levels,
Calcium plays a large role in the human body. About 99% of the calcium in our body is found in our teeth and bones. Along with other minerals, calcium regulates heart and muscle contractions, bone structure, blood clotting and nerve connections. Because these are vital bodily functions, if the human body is not receiving enough calcium it will take calcium from bones, leaving them weak and brittle. To avoid this, it is essential for everyone to have enough calcium intake, so their body doesn’t resort to robbing calcium from their bones. Humans can get calcium from common foods such as dairy products, broccoli, canned fish, or nuts.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is crucial for the maintenance of strong bones and teeth. You need calcium not only to maintain a healthy bone density, but also to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Calcium can come from food sources, such as milk, low-fat yogurt, and sardines, or from dietary supplements found at your local pharmacy. Does this mean that it would be okay to stop buying those calcium rich gallons of milk, put down the low-fat yogurt, and stock up on calcium supplements instead? Do calcium supplements provide as much calcium as other food sources would? Are there risks to taking calcium supplements in the long run? What are doctors and medical professionals saying about all of this? Let’s first take a look at what exactly calcium supplements are and what they are comprised of.
Vitamin D is a bit mystifying--the only vitamin that's also a hormone, and the only vitamin people don't have to consume from food. You manufacture it when your skin is exposed to the sun. See how you do on this quick quiz.
Bones are dynamic and are made up of proteins and minerals. A major protein in the bone is collagen. Minerals include, calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. The combination of these proteins and minerals is what gives bones strength and the capability to endure stress, which serves as protection against potential breaks or tears in the bone. Calcium is stored in bones and is what gives strength to bones. Although a majority of the calcium is stored in the bones, there is still a slight amount traveling in the blood. Throughout lifetime, bones are continually being resorbed and formed, meaning that minerals are continually being resorbed into the bloodstream, and minerals, particularly calcium, are being renewed into the bone. (Hinkle & Cheever,
Long-term calcium intake deficiencies in adults can be linked to numerous adverse medical conditions, but regularly American adults do not meet Food and Nutrition Board’s (FNB) Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) for this vital mineral (Ross, 2011). The FNB recommends that males and females between ages 19-50 and males 51-70 years old receive 1,000 mg of calcium every day and that women 51-70 years old and both males and females 70+ years old intake 1,200 mg of calcium every day (“Calcium Fact Sheet,” 2016). However, both genders of almost all ages fall short of meeting the established Adequate Intake level (“Nutrient Recommendations,” n.d.). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), only 65
Plenty of foods naturally contain vitamins. Some popular foods, such ass breakfast cereals, are protected with vitamins and minerals. But there are some people who are very particular and do not like to eat a lot of foods. Those people do not gain all the vitamins they need therefore they wont be healthy. Also, young baby’s can only eat certain amounts of food, this means that they are not receiving all the vitamins either, and they will need to take supplements to