Pick of the Season: Tomato Recipes Get Your Dose: Vitamin D Sources
Get Your Dose!
Direct sunlightFortified milk, orange juice, soy milkFortified cerealEgg yolksLiver/Cod liver oilSaltwater fish – i.e. Salmon, tuna, mackerelDietary supplementsBone Health: It Takes Two!
You need calcium and vitamin D for good bone health
In addition to osteoporosis, a vitamin D deficiency has been associated with other diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibroneuralgia, and some cancers.
Check your bottle of suntan lotion. Even an SPF rating of 8 reduces the production of vitamin D from sunlight by 95 percent. While the benefits of a high SPF are clear for the prevention of skin cancer, it’s vital to receive vitamin D from other sources.
“The primary source for vitamin D is sunlight,” says endocrinologist Bharathi Raju, MD. “If you have inadequate levels of vitamin D, you reduce your body’s ability to absorb calcium.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, people with insufficient vitamin D levels absorb less than 10 percent of the calcium they ingest. Low levels of both put you at high risk for osteoporosis, which causes weak or brittle bones. Dr. Raju says all adults should ask their doctors for a screening bone density exam. Vitamin D and calcium levels also should be checked regularly.
She adds, “Even if you’ve already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, make sure your physician checks your vitamin D level; if it’s too low, even the medications to treat osteoporosis won’t work.”
Recommended Daily Vitamin D
Adults under age 50 400 – 800 IU
Adults 50+ 800 – 1,000 IU
Recommended Daily Calcium
Adults under age 50 1,000 mg
Adults 50+ 1,200 mg
Source, National Osteoporosis Foundation Guidelines, updated December 2008
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit our find a physician online.
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