Role of Calcium and Vitamin D in Bone Health

Calcium and vitamin D are both essential nutrients for our bone health. They are like best friends who do not perform at their best without each other. Without vitamin D, the calcium you are taking cannot be absorbed.

If you are taking calcium to keep your bones healthy, it is extremely important that you take it with Vitamin D. Vitamin D works hand-in-hand with calcium to keep your hormones, heart, and muscles working well. If you have calcium deficiency, you may need to increase calcium and vitamin D to improve your health.

Weak bones cause knee pain, hip pain, and other joint problems which are called osteoarthritis. If your problem is serious you can search for someone nearby.

What Effect Does Vitamin D Have on Calcium?

Vitamin D and calcium perform best when combined. Getting enough of these important nutrients can have good effects on our bone health, especially in the long run. Vitamin D is essential for sending calcium into our bloodstream. This is why a vitamin D deficiency can cause a calcium deficiency as well. Vitamin D also helps your kidneys and gut absorb calcium.

To avoid deficiencies, make sure you eat foods that contain a good amount of calcium and vitamin D. Adults should take 1000–1300 mg of calcium daily through their diet. Do some research and make a proper diet for yourself that contains a good amount of vitamin D3, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and other important nutrients.

Remember, drinking a glass of milk alone won't give you enough calcium, and eating just 2 whole eggs won't give you enough Vitamin D. If you are a non-vegetarian, fatty fish can give you enough Vitamin D.

In case you have a chronic condition that affects your ability to absorb nutrients, supplements may be a good option for you. If your doctor prescribes you a calcium supplement with vitamin D, it’s generally because these two nutrients perform best when combined.

Why is Vitamin D Essential for Calcium Absorption?

Without vitamin D, calcium cannot work properly in your body. A common misbelief about bones is that they remain the same throughout adulthood, but this is not true.

Bones constantly release minerals and then rebuild themselves. Calcium plays an important role when it comes to forming sturdy structures of your bones. Without calcium, they couldn't be the strong moving structure of your body. Getting enough calcium is important but not without its best friend Vitamin D.

Who is Most at Risk of Calcium Deficiency?

If you have been diagnosed with a deficiency of calcium, you are not alone. Calcium deficiency is a common problem that can happen to anyone at any age. This usually happens to people who consume fewer dairy products.

Sometimes even if you take enough calcium it may still be possible to be low on calcium due to the reasons mentioned below:

● Women who don’t menstruate

● Post-menopausal women

● Female athletes

● Those who are lactose intolerant

Women’s hormone levels can impact bone health, too.

This happens because estrogen helps the body take in calcium and post-menopausal women or women who don’t menstruate have lower levels of estrogen.

Female athletes may face an imbalance between their exercise and nutrition habits, which can contribute to low calcium levels.

Some people do not tolerate dairy products and finding alternative sources of calcium becomes tough for them which usually leads to calcium deficiency. Dairy products are the best source of calcium but fortunately, there are some other food options that people who are lactose intolerant can take.

Importance of Vitamin D:

We’ve read why getting enough calcium is so important. Now let’s talk about vitamin D. By increasing your body’s ability to absorb and hold calcium, vitamin D increases the levels of calcium in your body. But that is not the only job of the Vitamin D in our body. Vitamin D also plays a crucial role in keeping your skin, heart, and immune system healthy.

Apart from helping your body absorb calcium, vitamin D has multiple roles in your brain. It helps in the development of your brain and protects neurons from damage. There is evidence proving that Vitamin D can reduce your risk of cancer.

Risk for a Vitamin D Deficiency:

Vitamin D deficiency means you don’t take enough vitamin D in your body. It primarily causes problems with your bones and muscles.

Your body uses Vitamin D for the development of and maintenance of the bone. It also plays an important role in your musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and immune system.

You can get vitamin D in many ways such as:

● Sun Light (Old People and people with dark skin may not get enough Vitamin D through the sunlight. It also varies on the location)

● Through the food you eat daily

● Through nutritional supplements.

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms:

Many of the signs of a vitamin D deficiency are related to our bone health. Vitamin D deficiencies can cause both adults and children to develop osteomalacia, which is basically the softening of bones. When your bones are not firm and sturdy enough, you run the risk of pain and fractures.

Some of the most common symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency are muscle pain, bone pain, joint pain, and fatigue. You can understand that Vitamin D and calcium go parallel to each other because they work closely together for the development of our body.

My Story of fighting with a chronic hip pain:

In 2022, I was also suffering from hip pain, which ultimately made me depressed. Initially, I went to a local doctor, who gave me painkillers without diagnosing my hip properly. After a month, those painkillers did not give me relief. I was not able to walk and do my routine tasks. A lot of time was spent in bed, and I had no idea what was going on with me.

I started doing some internet research and I got to know I might be suffering from osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that affects millions of people around the world. It occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones starts decreasing. When you have arthritis in your joints, you feel pain, stiffness, tenderness, bone spurs, and swelling. There may be other signs of arthritis, but these were the ones I was feeling.

I randomly searched on the goggle who is the best hip replacement surgeon in Delhi, and I got a list of many orthopedic doctors and a list of hospitals. After doing a lot of research, I finally met with an orthopedic doctor who diagnosed me properly with X-rays and some other tests. He recommended hip replacement surgery because that was the only solution left to cure my arthritis. I agreed to the surgery because I just wanted to get rid of my pain, and the cost of the surgery fit my budget.

As per my research and knowledge, hip replacement surgery cost in Delhi is lower compared with other states and the country. In case you want to get your best hip replacement surgery at affordable fees, you can come to Delhi.

Conclusion:

I hope through this blog article you learned a lot about vitamin D and calcium. They both play an important role in the development and maintenance of our bones and musculoskeletal system. Make sure you take enough vitamin D and calcium on a daily basis to improve your bone health. Not just for bones, calcium, and vitamins have many other health benefits.

If you have a deficiency of calcium and vitamin D, I would recommend you consult with a nutritionist and prepare yourself a customized diet plan. You can get a customized diet plan based on your food preferences, such as vegetarian, non-vegetarian, and lactose-free. Please do not take too much vitamin D or calcium; it can have a negative effect on your health. Always eat healthy food and stay fit.