Vitamin D: Calcium’s Partner in Bone Health

Vitamin D: Calcium’s Partner in Bone Growth

Adequate vitamin D is essential to ensure calcium can do its job of building and maintaining strong bones.

Vitamin D Deficiency: A Common Problem

Vitamin D is called the ‘sunshine vitamin’ because the best source for your body is through sunlight exposure. When our skin is exposed to UVB, the vitamin D receptors in our skin utilize a protein to produce vitamin D3. The liver then converts it into a form the body can use. 

Getting vitamin D from the sun can be challenging in our modern world. This is because we spend a lot more time indoors working or staying out of inclement weather - when we do go outside, we often slather on sunscreen to protect our skin (which is very important, of course). Generally, 8 to 10 minutes of sun exposure at noon is enough to get the daily recommended amount of vitamin D. It is important to note that those with darker skin may need a bit more exposure time.

If you are unable to get your vitamin D from the sun, there are dietary sources - fatty fish (i.e., salmon), mushrooms, eggs, and fortified foods (i.e., cereals, milk, yogurt). Supplements are also a good option. It is recommended to choose a supplement that combines vitamin D and calcium because of how those nutrients work together in the body.

Vitamin D and Growth

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in the body's growth and development of bones and teeth. One of the primary functions of vitamin D is to regulate calcium and phosphorus absorption, which are essential minerals for bone mineralization. Vitamin D also helps in the maturation of bone cells called osteoblasts, which are responsible for laying down new bone tissue. This makes adequate vitamin D intake especially important during childhood and adolescence when bones are still growing and developing.

We think of calcium as the mineral we need for bones, but vitamin D deficiency during critical growth periods may result in weak and brittle bones, a condition known as rickets (soft, malformed bones), or stunted growth in children.

In addition to its role in bone growth, vitamin D has other vital functions in the body, including immune system regulation, muscle function, and cell growth.

Calcium and Vitamin D: Partners in Bone Health

Without enough vitamin D, the body cannot effectively absorb calcium. So you can ensure calcium intake is adequate, but if vitamin D is low, there can be poor bone health outcomes. The best and most readily available source of vitamin D is sunlight. Unfortunately, because most people spend the majority of their days inside, 41.6% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. This is why it may be essential to supplement calcium and vitamin D together in children and adults.

Why Supplemental Vitamin D in Healthy Heights Shakes?

Healthy Heights shakes are calcium-rich from both whey protein and supplemental calcium citrate, so it was only natural to add vitamin D to support the absorption of this calcium. With vitamin D deficiency being relatively common among Americans from a lack of sun exposure, dietary supplementation is highly recommended.

Get More Vitamin D with Healthy Heights Shakes Today!

How much Vitamin D does Healthy Heights contain?

Sources: 

  • Michael F Holick, Tai C Chen, Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 87, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 1080S–1086S, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.4.1080S
  • Dominguez LJ, Farruggia M, Veronese N, Barbagallo M. Vitamin D Sources, Metabolism, and Deficiency: Available Compounds and Guidelines for Its Treatment. Metabolites. 2021 Apr 20;11(4):255. doi: 10.3390/metabo11040255. PMID: 33924215; PMCID: PMC8074587.
  • Bueno, Aline L., and Mauro A. Czepielewski. "The importance for growth of dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D." Jornal de Pediatria 84 (2008): 386-394.
  • John F Aloia, Ruban Dhaliwal, Albert Shieh, Mageda Mikhail, Melissa Fazzari, Louis Ragolia, Steven A Abrams, Vitamin D supplementation increases calcium absorption without a threshold effect, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 99, Issue 3, March 2014, Pages 624–631, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.067199
  • Forrest KY, Stuhldreher WL. Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults. Nutr Res. 2011 Jan;31(1):48-54. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001. PMID: 21310306.