Calcium & Vitamin D: Two Essential Nutrients for Your Bone Health

You might already know that calcium is good for your bone health and helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. This essential nutrient is a building block of your bones and helps maintain bone strength throughout your life span. But calcium can only reach its full bone-building potential if you have enough vitamin D inside of your body. Otherwise, it will be wasted if you are deficient in vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium effectively.

Calcium and Vitamin D Work Together to Support Your Bone Health 

Calcium and vitamin D jointly work to protect your bones. Calcium builds bones’ strength so that you can bear weight without facing any bone fracture and maintain your posture, while vitamin D enhances calcium absorption in your bones. People who don’t get enough calcium may lose bone mass faster and suffer bone fractures easily & frequently.

Therefore, if you are not getting a sufficient amount of these nutrients from your diet and are on the edge of a deficiency, go for food supplements that contain the recommended amount of these nutrients to help overcome the deficiency risks.

Read on to know the possible deficiency symptoms from these nutrients.

Deficiency Signs & Symptoms of These Vital Nutrients

Though vitamin D is one of the most essential vitamins and well known to everyone, many South Asians, including Pakistanis, are not getting enough of it daily, and the consequences are alarming! Vitamin D deficiency is the leading cause of weak bones and an increased risk of bone fractures (especially in older adults) worldwide.

Because vitamin D is essential for effective calcium absorption in the bones; its deficiency prevents calcium absorption in your bones, leading to osteoporosis (porous bones). Furthermore, you will notice the following symptoms in your body, which indicate that you are deficient in these nutrients:

• High risk of bone fractures- even if you carry low weight, it may cause a wrist, back, hip, or other bones to fracture easily (Osteoporosis).
• As we age, we lose around half an inch or three-quarters of an inch of our height, which is normal. But, due to osteoporosis, the loss in height is around 2 inches or more. Osteoporosis causes the bones (mainly in the back) to break easily, and the height loss becomes visible when the bone loss is at its peak. You will be surprised to know that around 66% of broken bones in our back are painless.
• You may suffer from a curved, stooped shape posture because of the severe deficiency of these nutrients.
• Increased risk of tooth decay and receding gums are also signs of vitamin D and calcium deficiency.
• Moreover, you are likely to suffer from lower back pain frequently.
• The deficiency of these nutrients can also cause osteomalacia, the condition in which your bones become soft and lose their strength & hardness. This condition is called rickets in children.
• Weak immunity may also indicate that you are deficient in vitamin D. This is because vitamin D helps boost immunity by stimulating the production of antibodies in the body, which fight pathogens.
• Moreover, our nerve cells require vitamin D & calcium for the transport of messages to different body tissues; their deficiency in the body causes muscle weakness resulting in involuntary action of muscle twitching.

Sources of Calcium and Vitamin D

When it comes to bone health, there is no substitute for a healthy diet that includes plenty of calcium and vitamin D. However, many people don’t get plenty of these nutrients from their diet and, therefore, need to supplement their diet with vitamin D and calcium.

Calcium is found in many foods: not just in dairy products like milk but also in dry fruits such as figs, fortified fruit juices, and vegetables, e.g., winter squash, turnip, spinach, etc.

Vitamin D is primarily present in dairy products, and other animal sources such as egg yolk, and fish. Therefore, vegans are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Two Nutrients (Calcium & Vitamin D) in a Single Food Supplement

Calcium & vitamin D from dietary sources has always been the best choice to get their recommended dose. However, if you are already deficient in these nutrients, you may not get the required dose from your diet alone. So, supplement your diet with food supplements like Bonex Gummies or Bonex-D Tablets. Both of these supplements contain a healthy amount of Calcium and vitamin D in a single formulation. You can consume any of these supplements to get these two nutrients in a single go with a healthy amount of each at a good absorption rate.

Conclusion:

Never compromise on your bone health. Because strong bones are responsible for maintaining your healthy posture and helping you stand firm. If you feel slight bone pain, consult your healthcare professional and get screened for calcium and vitamin D levels in the bones. And never be too late to stop consuming the beverages, i.e., carbonated drinks, etc., that leach out calcium from your bones.

Last but not least, consume a good amount of calcium and vitamin D-rich foods even if you feel your bones are healthy. 

References:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351968
• https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d
• https://osteoporosis.ca/height-loss/
• https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/bone-joint/supplements-for-bones-and-joints/
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-avoid-losing-height-get-older/
• https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/osteoporosis/role-calcium-vitamin-d-bone-health