Why are vitamin D and calcium important to bone health?
Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium. Calcium 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 get enough calcium in your diet, your body will not absorb that calcium if you don’t get enough vitamin D. What is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it is stored in the body’s fatty tissue. People normally get vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, which triggers vitamin D production in the skin. Vitamin D is found naturally in very few foods. In the United States, it is routinely added to milk and infant formula. Other good food sources are egg yolks and some types of fish such as salmon and mackerel. Vitamin D is also available in nutritional supplements. You probably don’t get enough vitamin D if you: –spend little time in the sun or use a strong sunblock have very dark skin –are over age 50, when the b
